ABO blood group system the precise glycosyl transferase set that confers the A, B and O epitopes. Blood groups are inherited from both parents. The ABO blood type is controlled by a single gene (the ABO gene) with three types of alleles inferred from classical genetics: "i", "I", and "I". The "I" designation stands for isoagglutinogen, another term for antigen. The gene encodes a glycosyltransferase—that is, an enzyme that modifies the carbohydrate content of the red blood cell antigens. The gene is located on the long arm of the ninth chromosome (9q34). The "I" allele gives type A, "I" gives type B, and "i"
ABO blood group system group B blood agglutinates with group A. Group C blood is different in that it agglutinates with both A and B. This was the discovery of blood groups for which Landsteiner was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1930. In his paper, he called the specific blood group interactions as isoagglutination, and also introduced the concept of agglutinins (antibodies), which is the actual basis of antigen-antibody reaction in ABO system. He asserted: Thus, he discovered two antigens (agglutinogens A and B) and two antibodies (agglutinins - anti-A and anti-B). His third group (C) indicated absence of both