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Shape changes and deformability in human erythrocyte membranes.

S L Schrier1

  • 1Department of Medicine, Stanford University, CA 94305-5112.

The Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine
|December 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary
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Red blood cell shape changes, like the conversion from echinocytic to discocytic forms, are linked to increased membrane rigidity. This rigidity increase is driven by membrane protein alterations, as shown by experiments with resealed red blood cell ghosts.

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Red blood cell (RBC) shape is crucial for microcirculation.
  • Understanding RBC shape changes requires studying membrane dynamics independently of intracellular factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the membrane events governing red blood cell shape transformation.
  • To assess the role of membrane rigidity in shape changes using resealed red blood cell ghosts.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized an ektacytometer to measure the deformability and rigidity of resealed red blood cell ghosts.
  • Induced shape changes in ghosts using magnesium-adenosine triphosphate (Mg-ATP) and antispectrin antibody.
  • Investigated the effect of vanadate in combination with Mg-ATP.

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Main Results:

  • Isotonically resealed ghosts naturally adopt an echinocytic shape.
  • Addition of Mg-ATP converted echinocytic ghosts to discocytes, accompanied by increased membrane rigidity.
  • Vanadate inhibited Mg-ATP-induced discocytosis and rigidity increase.
  • Resealing antispectrin antibody within ghosts also induced discocytosis and increased rigidity.

Conclusions:

  • Red blood cell discocytic shape is achieved through membrane protein modifications that enhance membrane rigidity.
  • Two distinct methods (Mg-ATP and antispectrin antibody) confirm that increased membrane rigidity accompanies the transition from echinocyte to discocyte.
  • Membrane protein alterations are the primary drivers of discocytic shape in isotonically resealed red blood cell ghosts.