It is planned to use this information in the creation of new DNA chips. Specialists at Lund University in Sweden have made significant progress in the field of transfusiology by explaining why standard blood group tests can sometimes give incorrect results.
Medianews.az reports that blood groups are determined by antigens located on the surface of erythrocytes (red blood cells). These antigens help the immune system distinguish between "self" and "foreign" cells.
The study notes that previously scientists could not explain why the number of these molecules differs by thousands of times among people with the same blood group.
Genetic "switches"
According to the information, scientists have discovered special proteins called transcription factors. They act as molecular "switches" regulating the activity of genes. These factors are responsible for the rare Helgeson blood group. This group is characterized by low levels of the CR1 protein and is found in only about 1 percent of people.
Evolutionary protection mechanism
Using a computational system developed by graduate student Gloria Wu, scientists identified nearly 200 interaction points among 33 blood group genes. It turned out that the cause of the Helgeson variant is a change in the part of the DNA where the transcription factor must bind.
Interestingly, having low levels of some molecules in the blood is not only a problem but also a survival mechanism. Researchers believe this genetic variant is found more frequently in the population of Southeast Asia because it prevents parasites from entering the body.//Lent.az