ABO blood group system alleles in white individuals of the ABO gene that produce one's blood type: The same study also identified 18 rare alleles, which generally have a weaker glycosylation activity. People with weak alleles of A can sometimes express anti-A antibodies, though these are usually not clinically significant as they do not stably interact with the antigen at body temperature. Cis AB is another rare variant, in which A and B genes are transmitted together from a single parent. The distribution of the blood groups A, B, O and AB varies across the world according to the population. There are also variations
ABO blood group system plant antigens) have epitopes similar enough to A and B glycoprotein antigens. The antibodies created against these environmental antigens in the first years of life can cross-react with ABO-incompatible red blood cells that it comes in contact with during blood transfusion later in life. Anti-A antibodies are hypothesized to originate from immune response towards influenza virus, whose epitopes are similar enough to the α-D-N-galactosamine on the A glycoprotein to be able to elicit a cross-reaction. Anti-B antibodies are hypothesized to originate from antibodies produced against Gram-negative bacteria, such as "E. coli", cross-reacting with the α-D-galactose on the B glycoprotein. However,