1. A tetrasaccharide having blood group A-activity was isolated from soluble A substance derived from human gastric linings by treatment with triethylamine, and a tetrasaccharide having blood group B-activity was isolated from B substance by the same device. The A-active tetrasaccharide liberated N-acetylgalactosamine by treatment with α-N-acetyl-D-galactosaminidase from pig epididymis, the B-active tetrasaccharide liberated galactose by treatment with α-D-galactosidase from Cl. sporogenes maebashi, and these were transformed to a trisaccharide having O(H) -activity.
2, An O(H) -active trisaccharide isolated from O(H) substance liberated fucose by treatment with α-L-fucosidase derived from Bac. fulminans, together with disappearance of O(H) -activity and decrease of cross-reactivity with anti-Shigella dysenteriae chicken serum. The trisaccharide was split into fucose, galactose and N-acetylglucosamine by treatment with enzyme preparation from Bac. cereus O(H). A disaccharide, β-galactosyl- (1→4) -N-acetylglucosamine inhibited hemagglutination of group O red cells by anti-Diplococcus pneumoniae Type XIV chicken serum. A Leb-active oligosaccharide liberated fucose by treatment with α-L-fucosidase derived from Bac. fulminans, together with destruction of Leb-activity and appearance of Lea-activity.
3. A Lea active trisaccharide isolated from Lea substance was split into fucose, galactose and N-acetylglucosamine by treatment with enzyme preparation from Bac. cereus Lea, Lacto-N-fucopentaose II (β-galactosyl- (1→3) - [α-fucosyl- (1→4) -] -β-N-acetylglucosaminyl (1→3) β-galactosyl (1→4) -glucose) isolated galactose by treatment withβ-D-galactosidase from Bac. cereus O(H) without complete destruction of Lea-activity.