Complement-independent binding of C3 nephritic factor (NEF) to sheep erythrocytes was observed in heat-inactivated sera from patients having this autoantibody. The binding was observed after neuraminidase treatment of erythrocytes but not following trypsin treatment. Purified IgG from patients' sera was able to bind to ShE membranes. Binding to rat and rabbit erythrocytes was also observed but not to human group O+ erythrocytes. By Western blot NEF ab recognizes a 26 kD protein on the sheep erythrocytes and a 21 kD protein on human erythrocytes. NEF activity decreased at these positions when blotted nitrocellulose was incubated with NEF antibody. This autoantibody binds human erythrocytes membranes from patients but not from 55 normal blood donors. IgG from a pool from 10 different controls did not bind membrane E from the patients. The amino acid analysis of the 21 kD protein of the patients showed differences in basic residues (Arg and Lys) when compared with the 21 kD protein obtained from controls. N-terminal sequence analysis indicated that it is blocked in both proteins.