A re-evaluation of the surface complexity of the intact erythrocyte

Surface proteins and glycoproteins of intact human red blood cells were labelled with 125I by the lactoperoxidase method. The radioactive proteins were then separated in each of the Fairbanks and Laemmli one-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis systems. The radioactive polypeptides had different mobilities in the two systems, largely due to the anomalous migration of glycoproteins in polyacrylamide gels. A two-dimensional system was therefore developed using the Fairbanks and Laemmli buffer systems to exploit these anomalies. This procedure clearly resolved radioactive glycoproteins and proteins and enabled the identification of many more surface components than had previously proved possible.