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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
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Induction of Eryptosis in Red Blood Cells Using a Calcium Ionophore
Published on: January 21, 2020
Beauvericin induced erythrocyte cell membrane scrambling
Syed M Qadri1, Yuliya Kucherenko, Florian Lang
1Department of Physiology, University of Tübingen, Gmelinstr. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Toxicology
|February 8, 2011
Summary
Beauvericin mycotoxin induces eryptosis, a form of red blood cell death, by increasing calcium and decreasing ATP. It also affects cell shrinkage during energy depletion.
Area of Science:
- Mycotoxicology
- Cell Biology
- Physiology
Background:
- Beauvericin is a mycotoxin with diverse biological activities.
- Eryptosis, or suicidal erythrocyte death, involves cell shrinkage and phosphatidylserine exposure.
- Eryptosis can be triggered by energy depletion and increased cytosolic calcium.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if beauvericin induces eryptosis.
- To determine how beauvericin influences eryptosis under energy-depleted conditions.
Main Methods:
- Assessed phosphatidylserine exposure using annexin V binding.
- Measured cell volume via forward scatter in FACS analysis.
- Quantified cytosolic calcium and ATP concentrations.
- Examined ion channel activity using whole-cell patch clamp.
Main Results:
- Beauvericin (≥ 5 μM) decreased erythrocyte ATP and increased cytosolic calcium and annexin V binding.
- Beauvericin's effect on annexin V binding was reduced by removing extracellular calcium.
- Beauvericin (≥ 1 μM) enhanced calcium and annexin V increases during glucose depletion.
- Beauvericin inhibited calcium-activated potassium channels, blunting cell shrinkage during glucose depletion.
Conclusions:
- Beauvericin stimulates calcium entry, leading to erythrocyte membrane scrambling.
- Beauvericin inhibits calcium-activated potassium channels, impacting cell shrinkage during energy depletion.
- These findings reveal novel mechanisms of beauvericin's action on erythrocytes.
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