Interactions of inhibitors on anion transporter of human erythrocyte

Chloride tracer efflux was measured from intact human erythrocytes into media containing different chloride concentrations and different concentrations of the inhibitors 4,4'-dinitrostilbene-2-2'-disulfonate (DNDS), N-(4-azido-2-nitrophenyl)-2-aminoethylsulfonate (NAP-taurine), phloretin, and sulfate. The data were analyzed to test whether these inhibitors were mutually exclusive with each other or whether they could bind at the same time. Under the assumption that mutual exclusiveness is due to steric interference, the data can be used to map out the protein surface near the outward-facing anion binding-transport site. It is concluded that there are separate domains for NAP taurine and phloretin that do not overlap with each other or with the chloride binding site. These two domains do, however, overlap with the binding domain for DNDS that, in addition, excludes the binding of chloride and sulfate.