Red cell polymorphisms in nonhuman primates: a review.

Development as well as current status of the knowledge of nonhuman primate blood groups are discussed together with some practical implications of the red cell antigen polymorphisms in anthropoid apes, Old and New World monkeys and prosimians. Recent data on molecular biology and genetics throw light on the relationships among simian and human red cell antigens and their evolutionary pathways.

The M-N--V-A-B-D blood group system of chimpanzee and other apes: serology and genetics.

Poly- and monoclonal anti-M and anti-N reagents detect on the red cells of anthropoid apes the M and/or N antigens which are similar to, but not identical with human M and N. A series of V-A-B-D specificities, closely related to the M-N system, are recognized on ape red blood cells by chimpanzee immune sera. To account for the distributions of the M-N--V-A-B-D types in man and in various apes, a genetic model is proposed that assumes the existence of two independent pairs of alleles: M/m, and N/n.