Reconstitution of the erythrocyte anion transport system: recent progress

The anion transport system of the human erythrocyte membrane was reconstituted in phosphatidylcholine vesicles by a new procedure. The reconstituted system shows all major properties of the sulfate transport system found in the erythrocyte membrane (Scheuring, U., K. Kollewe, W. Haase, and D. Schubert: J. Membrane Biol. 90, 123-135 (1986)). Modifications of the reconstitution method have now led to increased values of the internal volumes of the protein-lipid vesicles and of the average turnover number of the transport protein (which is now larger than in the erythrocyte membrane). Gel filtration on Sephacryl S-1000 has allowed the isolation of vesicles of a narrow size distribution.