Preparation of erythrocyte ghosts by a glycol-induced osmotic lysis under isoionic conditions

A procedure has been developed for obtaining haemoglobin-free, erythrocyte ghosts under ionic conditions approximating that of the cell cytoplasm. Haemolysis was effected by incorporating glycol into cells suspended in the isoionic medium and then diluting with a large volume of glycol-free medium. The ghosts were of uniform spherical shape throughout the preparative procedure and were impermeable to macromolecules. Analysis of polypeptides by sodium dodecyl sulphate-gel electrophoresis at each stage of preparation and comparison with ghosts prepared under hypo-ionic conditions served to distinguish membrane components from those of cytoplasm.