OBJECTIVETo detect the base sequences of all exons and part of introns in the GYPA gene of the glycophorin GPA and to investigate the polymorphism of M, N alleles in Chinese population.

METHODSA total of 225 blood sample were randomly colleeted from unrelated Chinese volunteers and were detected by serology techniques. The primers were designed by self, the seguencing of GYPA gene related with sample exon 1-7 full length sequences of bases and intron-1-7 partial sequence was performed, the polymorphism of M, N gene mutation in mucleotide sequence was analysed.

RESULTSThe results of M and N genotyping were in agreement with the results of serological detection. The 23rd base of intron-2, the 55th base of intron-3, the 63rd base of intron-4, the 55th, 189th and 190th base of intron-6, the 712th base variation of exon-7 in the gene M and N were used to subdivide the gene M and N into the mutant M103, M201, M202, N101, N102, N103, N104, and N201. At the same time, it was found that 42th and 54th base were mutated, the base T was inserted between 59th and 60th base in the intron-2, the new mutations occurred in the alleles 28, 29, 65 and 102 in intron-3 in this study.

CONCLUSIONThe polymorphism of the the Chinese population's GYPA gene occurs in all the exons and partly in the introns. The gene polymorphism of M and N blood group in Chinese population might provide the theoretical basis for the studies of clinical blood transfusion, human population genetics and molecular biology.