The nature of human erythrocyte receptors for Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Normal and trypsinized human erythrocyte membranes were used as a model in the study of host cell receptors for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Receptor sites were identified by adherence inhibition assays of fractions of membranes eluted from polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis columns. Results indicated that inhibition of gonococcus T1 and T4 adherence was associated with erythrocyte protein bands 3 and 4 and glycophorin A, the major sialoglycoprotein. Further investigation revealed that band 3 preparations isolated by affinity chromatography on concanavalin A – Sepharose 4B columns continued to inhibit T1 adherence to erythrocytes but did not inhibit adherence of T4 organisms. It is suggested that protein band 3 is the receptor on erythrocytes for T1 gonococci and that glycophorin A may be the receptor for T4 cells.