ISSN:
0091-7419
Keywords:
plasma lipoproteins
;
erythrocyte morphology
;
erythrocyte phosphatase
;
spectrin phosphorylation
;
Life Sciences
;
Molecular Cell Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Addition of human plasma low-density lipoproteins (LDL) to intact human erythrocytes induces the erythrocytes to undergo morphologic transition from biconcave disks to echinocytes and spherocytes. The transformation is time-dependent. Two hours are required before echinocytes are detected by scanning electron microscopy. After two hours, LDL also decrease the phosphate content of spectrin by 40% relative to the control, suggesting that these lipoproteins modulate cell shape by influencing phosphorylationdephosphorylation of a membrane-associated cytoskeletal protein. LDL do not induce depletion of intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), nor do they inhibit cyclic adenosine monophosphate-independent protein kinases which phosphorylate spectrin. LDL stimulate membrane-bound phosphatases by a factor of two, thereby reducing the amount of phosphate covalently bound to membrane proteins. The observed effects are specific for LDL. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) do not stimulate dephosphorylation of spectrin or alter erythrocyte morphology. However, HDL protect the erythrocytes against LDL-induced alterations. These data suggest that the circulating lipoproteins have a role in maintaining erythrocyte morphology by regulating the extent of phosphorylation of spectrin.
Additional Material:
2 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jss.400100214
