Human erythroid cells are affected by aluminium. Alteration of membrane band 3 protein.

There is evidence that anaemia is associated with aluminium (Al). We have already reported on the sensitivity to Al, showed by erythroid cell populations of animals chronically exposed to the metal. In order to investigate whether Al could also affect human cells, experiments were carried out both on immature and mature human erythroid cells. Erythroid progenitors (CFU-E, colony-forming units-erythroid) concentrated from human peripheral blood were cultured in an Al-rich medium under erythropoietin stimulation and their development analysed. Human peripheral erythrocytes were aged in the presence of Al. Cells were examined using scanning electron microscopy, and membrane proteins analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with sodium dodecyl sulphate and immunoblotting. The development of the Al-treated progenitors was 8750/6600-9200 CFU-E/10(6) cells, a significantly lower median value (P<0.05) than that showed by non-treated cells (12300/11200-20700 CFU-E/10(6) cells). Erythrocyte morphological changes were induced by Al during the in vitro ageing. The cells lost their typical biconcave shape, turning into acanthocytes and stomatocytes. Simultaneously, an increased membrane protein breakdown compatible with band 3 degradation was detected. Besides, Al was found within the cells and attached to the membrane. The present in vitro results suggest that Al may disturb human erythropoiesis through combined effects on mature erythrocytes and cellular metabolism in late erythroid progenitors.     

Cell-surface remodelling during mammalian erythropoiesis.

Current evidence suggests that the major cell-surface modification occurring during mammalian erythropoiesis could be generated by two separate mechanisms: either selective loss of membrane proteins during enucleation or endocytosis at the subsequent reticulocyte and erythrocyte stages. The former idea was tested by collecting developing rabbit erythroid cells before and after the enucleation step and comparing their cell-surface protein composition via radiolabelling and electrophoresis. Few changes were observed. Our data thus lend support to the endocytosis mechanism.     

Human erythroid cells are affected by aluminium. Alteration of membrane band 3 protein

There is evidence that anaemia is associated with aluminium (Al). We have already reported on the sensitivity to Al, showed by erythroid cell populations of animals chronically exposed to the metal. In order to investigate whether Al could also affect human cells, experiments were carried out both on immature and mature human erythroid cells. Erythroid progenitors (CFU-E, colony-forming units-erythroid) concentrated from human peripheral blood were cultured in an Al-rich medium under erythropoietin stimulation and their development analysed. Human peripheral erythrocytes were aged in the presence of Al. Cells were examined using scanning electron microscopy, and membrane proteins analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with sodium dodecyl sulphate and immunoblotting. The development of the Al-treated progenitors was 8750/6600-9200 CFU-E/10⁶ cells, a significantly lower median value (P<0.05) than that showed by non-treated cells (12?300/11?200-20?700 CFU-E/10⁶ cells). Erythrocyte morphological changes were induced by Al during the in vitro ageing. The cells lost their typical biconcave shape, turning into acanthocytes and stomatocytes. Simultaneously, an increased membrane protein breakdown compatible with band 3 degradation was detected. Besides, Al was found within the cells and attached to the membrane. The present in vitro results suggest that Al may disturb human erythropoiesis through combined effects on mature erythrocytes and cellular metabolism in late erythroid progenitors.     

The transbilayer distribution of phosphatidylethanolamine in erythroid plasma membranes during erythropoiesis

Fluorescamine was used to assess the transbilayer distribution of phosphatidylethanolamine in the plasma membrane of murine erythroid progenitor cells, CFU-E (colony-forming unit erythroid), at different stages of their differentiation pathway. Intact cells were exposed to increasing concentrations of fluorescamine and the amount of labeled phosphatidylethanolamine was determined by measuring the fluorescence intensity of its fluorescamine derivative. A semilogarithmic plot of the dose-response curve revealed three different pools of phosphatidylethanolamine, representing its fractions in, respectively, the inner- and outer monolayers of the plasma membrane and subcellular membrane systems. These results show that 9-11% of the total cellular phosphatidylethanolamine is present in the outer leaflet and 9-10% of it is located in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane in early as well as late erythroblasts. This symmetric distribution of phosphatidylethanolamine over the two halves of the bilayer in the plasma membrane of CFU-E is very similar to that observed earlier in the plasma membrane of friend erythroleukaemic cells (Rawyler, Van der Schaft, Roelofsen and Op den Kamp (1985) Biochemistry 24, 1777-1783). These observations imply that the characteristic asymmetric distribution of phosphatidylethanolamine, as is found in mature erythrocytes, is accomplished at a very late stage of erythropoiesis and possibly during enucleation of the cells or shortly thereafter.     

The cytoskeletal proteins of erythrocytes

The erythrocyte membrane skeleton is composed of the number of proteins isolated and characterized. One of the major proteins of cytoskeleton is actin presented in erythrocytes in the form of short protofilaments. This review will focus on the manner of attachment of actin protofilaments to the red cell membrane, and on the relationships between skeleton membrane proteins. Membrane skeleton proteins in erythrocytes are not unique. Recently a lot of proteins similar to the red cell membrane skeleton proteins were found in a wide variety of non-erythroid cells. This fact gives the opportunity to suppose the existence of a unique protein system in erythroid and non-erythroid cells which provides the attachment of actin filaments to cell membranes and which might be the centre for the assembling of actin structures in the cortical cytoplasm.     

The assembly and positioning of cytoskeletal elements in Tetrahymena

The oral skeleton of Tetrahymena is a precisely arranged assemblage of basal bodies, microtubule bundles and connecting filaments found associated with the feeding structure in this cell type. Tubulin and filament proteins have been isolated but no actin has been recovered. The conditional mutant NP1 of Tetrahymena thermophila forms a normal oral skeleton at the permissive temperature (28 degrees C), but forms an abnormal one at the restrictive temperature (37 degrees C). Antibodies against tubulin and oral filament protein OF1 were used to visualize the abnormal oral skeleton and stages in its development, and ultrastructural comparisons of abnormal and wild-type oral skeletons were made. It was found that the overall pattern of organization was altered in the mutant, whereas the substructure appeared everywhere to be normal. Studies of cells in which the mutant phenotype was coming to expression revealed that normal basal bodies in the oral skeleton failed to move from the disordered state characteristic of early stages of development into the correct pattern of four organized clusters characteristic of later stages. Together, these results suggest that the lesion in NP1 does not affect cytoskeleton assembly per se, but instead affects a discrete mechanism responsible for the positioning of cytoskeletal elements with respect to each other after they have been formed (meta-assembly). Reasons for suspecting the involvement of the membrane skeleton are presented.     

Changes in hemopoietic and regulator levels in mice during fatal or nonfatal malarial infections. I. Erythropoietic populations

Erythroid precursors BFU-E and CFU-E and erythroblasts (ERB) were monitored in the marrow and spleen of mice during fatal or nonfatal malaria. Transient depletions of marrow CFU-E and ERB without modification of BFU-E or erythropoietin (Epo) levels were found as early events in fatal infections. Before anemia development, erythropoiesis was reduced in the bone marrow but increased in the spleen. During the anemic phase, for comparable levels of anemia, plasma Epo levels were elevated to a similar degree in fatal and nonfatal malaria. In the bone marrow, CFU-E increased twofold and BFU-E were usually reduced as expected in severe anemia. ERB populations increased but remained below or within normal values, suggesting an impairment of marrow erythropoiesis related to early events following infection. In contrast, in the spleen, ERB production was strongly simulated but amplification of ERB, CFU-E, and BFU-E populations was 2.5-fold lower in fatal than in nonfatal malaria. The results suggest that a defect in amplification of splenic erythropoiesis is a crucial determinant of the fatal outcome of malarial infection. This may have been mediated by a defective stem cell migration or multiplication. Some evidence obtained during recovery stages suggested that a factor(s) other than Epo may control splenic erythropoiesis during the anemia associated with malaria.     

Plasmodium chabaudi AS: erythropoietic responses during infection in resistant and susceptible mice.

The course of anemia and the erythropoietic response in the bone marrow, spleen, and blood were studied during Plasmodium chabaudi AS infection in resistant C57BL/6 (B6) and susceptible A/J (A) mice. Infections in B6 mice were characterized by moderate levels of both parasitemia and anemia and survival. In contrast, A mice experienced high parasitemia, severe anemia, and high mortality rates. During the period of anemia, erythropoiesis, as measured by in vivo 59Fe incorporation, was significantly more depressed in bone marrow and more increased in the spleen in resistant B6 mice. The increase in splenic 59Fe incorporation was a function of the size of the spleen. Bone marrow CFU-E were decreased to 50% of control in both strains, while splenic CFU-E were increased twofold greater in B6 mice compared to those in A mice. However, the absolute numbers of CFU-E per spleen in the two strains were not significantly different during peak parasitemia. Bone marrow BFU-E were transiently increased before peak parasitemia whereas splenic BFU-E peaked during peak parasitemia. A mice had significantly lower numbers of BFU-E per spleen on all days except at peak parasitemia. The frequency of blood-borne BFU-E and plasma erythropoietin titers was increased earlier and to a greater extent in A mice. These results suggest that an impaired amplification of late-stage splenic erythropoiesis may be an important determinant in the severity of anemia and lethality of infection with P. chabaudi AS in A mice. Moreover, these results demonstrate that the defective amplification of splenic erythropoiesis in A mice is neither caused by a defect in the mobilization of BFU-E from the bone marrow to the spleen nor caused by a defect in erythropoietin production.     

The expression and synthesis of the band 3 protein initiates the formation of a stable membrane skeleton in murine Rauscher-transformed erythroid cells.

While the temporal sequences of the synthesis and assembly of membrane skeletal proteins has been studied during erythroid maturation, relatively little is known about the events which initiate the assembly of membrane skeleton at the early stages of mammalian erythroid commitment. To investigate the early events that initiate the assembly of the membrane skeleton in mammalian erythroid cells, we have studied the synthesis and assembly of membrane skeletal proteins in murine Rauscher erythroleukemia virus-transformed cells. These cells are blocked in differentiation at around the early progenitor (burst forming unit-erythroid, BFUe) cell stage but can be induced to differentiate in vitro. Pulse-labeling studies reveal that Rauscher cells actively synthesize alpha spectrin, beta spectrin, ankyrin and band 4.1 proteins. However, the synthesis of the band 3 protein and its mRNA are barely detectable in these cells. The peripheral membrane skeletal components assemble only transiently in the membrane skeleton and turn over rapidly, resulting in about 20-fold lower steady state levels than are found in mature erythrocytes. Upon induction with erythropoietin and dimethyl sulfoxide, the mRNA level and synthesis of band 3 are increased about 50-fold. In contrast, the synthesis of spectrin, ankyrin and band 4.1 is increased only about 1.5 to 2.0-fold. However, after induction, the fraction of these proteins assembled on the membrane is increased, their half-lives on the membrane are nearly doubled with a concomitant 4 to 5-fold increase in their steady-state levels. These results suggest that the synthesis of peripheral membrane proteins is detected at the earliest stages of erythroid commitment and increases only slightly during further differentiation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Developmental changes in erythropoietin receptor expression of fetal mouse liver.

Erythropoietin (EPO) stimulates proliferation and differentiation of late erythroid precursor cells (CFU-E) and thereby determines the rate of erythropoiesis. Liver is the major erythropoietic site in a fetus. We dealt with developmental changes in CFU-E and EPO receptor (EPO-R) of fetal mouse liver. The affinity of the EPO-R to EPO was unchanged during fetal development. The population size of CFU-E, the number of EPO-R per liver cell, and EPO-R mRNA decreased as gestation proceeded, in a pattern indicating that the expression of EPO-R on erythroid precursor cells in fetal mouse liver is governed mostly by the process of mRNA production.     

Chromosomal protein synthesis during erythropoiesis in the mouse spleen

Induced erythropoiesis in the mouse spleen was employed to study chromosomal protein synthesis during erythroid cell development. Splenic erythropoiesis occurring after phenylhydrazine induced hemolysis can be divided into an early phase during which nuclear RNA polymerase activity and RNA production are maximal and a late phase in which hemoglobin synthesis and DNA accumulation are maximal. Chromatin was isolated from splenic tissue during both the early and late phases of erythropoiesis as well as from non-anemic animals. The total protein content of chromatin from the early erythroid phase was greater than that of chromatin from the late erythroid phase or from non-anemic controls. The increase was due to a coordinate increase in the concentration of both histone and nonhistone proteins. During late erythropoiesis, the concentration of each returned to pre-anemic levels. Total histone synthesis increased 2.6-fold during early erythropoiesis as compared with the pre-anemic state and remained elevated in late erythropoiesis. The increase in histone synthesis was due to an increase in the synthesis of all five major histone proteins. Nonhistone protein synthesis was more active than that of histones in the pre-anemic spleen and rose only slightly during early erythropoiesis, returning to preanemic levels during late erythropoiesis. Fractionation of nonhistone proteins on SDS-urea polyacrylamide gels revealed complex patterns with significant differences between the pattern of erythroid spleen non-histone proteins and that of the pre-anemic spleen. Analysis of the incorporation of ³H-valine into the non-histone proteins indicated that during early erythropoiesis there was a generalized increase in nonhistone protein synthesis. During the late erythroid phase, the decline in non-histone protein synthesis was most marked for the higher molecular weight proteins.     

UCP2 modulates cell proliferation through the MAPK/ERK pathway during erythropoiesis and has no effect on heme biosynthesis

UCP2, an inner membrane mitochondrial protein, has been implicated in bioenergetics and reactive oxygen species (ROS) modulation. High levels of UCP2 mRNA were recently found in erythroid cells where UCP2 is hypothesized to function as a facilitator of heme synthesis and iron metabolism by reducing ROS production. We examined UCP2 protein expression and role in mice erythropoiesis in vivo. UCP2 was mainly expressed at early stages of erythroid maturation when cells are not fully committed in heme synthesis. Iron incorporation into heme was unaltered in reticulocytes from UCP2-deficient mice. Although heme synthesis was not influenced by UCP2 deficiency, mice lacking UCP2 had a delayed recovery from chemically induced hemolytic anemia. Analysis of progenitor cells from bone marrow and fetal liver both in vitro and in vivo revealed that UCP2 deficiency results in a significant decrease in cell proliferation at the erythropoietin-dependent phase of erythropoiesis. This was accompanied by reduction in the phosphorylated form of ERK, a ROS-dependent cytosolic regulator of cell proliferation. Analysis of ROS in UCP2 null erythroid cells revealed altered distribution of ROS, resulting in decreased cytosolic and increased mitochondrial ROS. Restoration of the cytosol oxidative state of erythroid progenitor cells by the pro-oxidant Paraquat reversed the effect of UCP2 deficiency on cell proliferation in in vitro differentiation assays. Together, these results indicate that UCP2 is a regulator of erythropoiesis and suggests that inhibition of UCP2 function may contribute to the development of anemia.     

Control of erythroid differentiation: asynchronous expression of the anion transporter and the peripheral components of the membrane skeleton in AEV- and S13-transformed cells

Chicken erythroblasts transformed with avian erythroblastosis virus or S13 virus provide suitable model systems with which to analyze the maturation of immature erythroblasts into erythrocytes. The transformed cells are blocked in differentiation at around the colony-forming unit-erythroid stage of development but can be induced to differentiate in vitro. Analysis of the expression and assembly of components of the membrane skeleton indicates that these cells simultaneously synthesize alpha-spectrin, beta-spectrin, ankyrin, and protein 4.1 at levels that are comparable to those of mature erythroblasts. However, they do not express any detectable amounts of anion transporter. The peripheral membrane skeleton components assemble transiently and are subsequently rapidly catabolized, resulting in 20-40-fold lower steady-state levels than are found in maturing erythrocytes. Upon spontaneous or chemically induced terminal differentiation of these cells expression of the anion transporter is initiated with a concommitant increase in the steady-state levels of the peripheral membrane-skeletal components. These results suggest that during erythropoiesis, expression of the peripheral components of the membrane skeleton is initiated earlier than that of the anion transporter. Furthermore, they point a key role for the anion transporter in conferring long-term stability to the assembled erythroid membrane skeleton during terminal differentiation.     

Biogenesis of erythrocyte membrane proteins. In vivo studies in anemic rabbits.

To study the process of red cell membrane protein synthesis we have followed the time course of [3-H]leucine appearance in total protein and individual peptides of the erythrocyte membrane following injection of the amino acid into phenylhydrazine-anemic rabbits. Multiple peripheral blood samples were taken from single animals over a 5-week period. Erythrocyte membrane proteins were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecylsulfate and dithiothreitol; incorporation of radioactivity was determined by gel slicing and liquid scintillation spectrometry. Appearance of [3-H]leucine in circulating erythrocytes reached a peak at 1-3 days, with a steady decline thereafter. The radioactive amino acid appeared first in the lowest molecular weight peptides and last in the largest peptides; at the earliest time point (8 h), little radioactivity was observed in any of the four largest peptides present in the membranes (bands A, 1, 2 and 3). Certain smaller peptides (bands 4, 5 and 9) were the predominant species labeled at this time. By 24 h all peptides showed significant incorporation. With maturation of the red cells, label largely disappeared from bands A, 9 and several smaller peptides; this was confirmed by finding that the peptides are virtually absent from mature circulating erythrocytes. These data are interpreted as showing that red cell membrane proteins are synthesized asynchronously during the life cycle of the erythrocyte; the largest peptides are made predominantly in the earlier marrow stages of development, while certain of the smaller peptides are still being synthesized in the reticulocyte stage. Several membrane proteins appear to be specific to the reticulocyte and are lost during the process of cell maturation in the circulation.     

Hematopoiesis in the rat: quantitation of hematopoietic progenitors and the response to iron deficiency anemia

To determine the quantitative effects of iron deficiency on erythropoiesis and to assess the response of erythroid progenitors to sustained anemia, we developed quantitative assays for various hematopoietic progenitors in the adult, Sprague-Dawley rat including erythroid colony- and burst-forming cells (CFU-E and BFU-E), granulocyte/macrophage colony-forming cells (CFU-GM), and megakaryocytic colony-forming cells (CFU-Meg). CFU-E were cultured in methylcellulose and grew best in the presence of fetal calf serum. CFU-GM, BFU-E, and CFU-Meg grew better in normal rat plasma and required the presence of pokeweed mitogen-stimulated rat spleen cell conditioned medium. The numbers of progenitors and nucleated erythroblasts in total marrow were estimated by the ratios of radioactivity in the humerus to the total skeleton as determined by radioiron dilution. The numbers of progenitors and erythroblasts in the spleen were measured by simple dilution. Sustained anemia was brought about through chronic iron deficiency. The response to iron deficiency anemia (IDA) was monitored by the numbers of the various progenitors and their cell cycle characteristics as measured by the tritiated thymidine suicide technique. With IDA, the number of CFU-F in the body (marrow plus spleen) was increased to 3.5 times control, whereas the numbers of BFU-E and CFU-GM were unchanged. There was no difference in the percentage of CFU-E, BFU-E, and CFU-GM in DNA synthesis (68%, 19.4%, and 18.8%, respectively). With iron therapy of IDA, CFU-E numbers in marrow began to decrease by day 1 and fell in a manner reciprocal to changes in the hematocrit. Marrow and spleen erythroblasts, 1.7 times control in IDA, increased further to 3.9 times control by the fourth day after iron administration. There was no change in BFU-E or CFU-GM numbers in response to iron repletion, although the fraction of progenitors increased in the spleen. Thus, IDA does not limit the increase in CFU-E seen with anemia, but does restrict erythroid maturation. Furthermore, the increase in CFU-E and the state of chronic anemia occur without detectable changes in the number of cell cycle state of the more primitive BFU-E.     

The role of the membrane skeleton in concanavalin A-mediated agglutination of human erythrocytes

In the erythrocyte membrane, the mobility of band 3 protein, the receptor for concanavalin A (Con A), is drastically reduced by the membrane skeleton. Yet, the vesicles free of membrane skeletal proteins, isolated from the highly agglutinable proteinase-treated cells, are found to be devoid of Con A agglutinability. The vesicles bind Con A in normal amounts, and remain agglutinable with the wheat germ and Ricinus agglutinins. Intracellular entrapment of monospecific antibodies to spectrin and 4.1 protein (two of the major skeletal components of the membrane) is also found to inhibit agglutination by 30-50%. Thus the membrane skeleton appears to play a positive role in the agglutination of the cells with Con A. The anti-ankyrin antibodies are found to be without any effect. The anti-band 3 (cytoplasmic domain) antibodies are also inhibitory to agglutination. Since Con A binding to cells alters the shape responses and deformability of the cells, and the cells resist fragmentation at 49 degrees C, the properties of the whole skeleton, especially spectrin, appear to be changed. The Con A-bound membranes also do not release the complex of spectrin-band 4.1-actin when extracted with a hypotonic medium. It appears that Con A binding leads to interaction of the cytoplasmic domain of the receptor with a skeletal component, possibly spectrin. Subsequent to this, the receptor molecules and the skeletal proteins undergo aggregation in the membrane, which is detected by their crosslinking by an 8.6-A span bifunctional reagent. The contractility believed to be associated with the membrane skeleton may be responsible for the aggregation.     

Induction of commitment of murine erythroleukemia cells (TSA8) to CFU-E with DMSO

The commitment of novel mouse erythroleukemic (MEL) cells (TSA8) to colony-forming units of erythroid (CFU-E) by dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) was investigated. After exposure to the inducer in liquid culture, the cells were transferred to a semi-solid culture to examine their ability to form erythroid colonies which were dependent on erythropoietin. Exposure to DMSO for 2 days is optimum for CFU-E type colony formation and colonies induced in this manner are equivalent to CFU-E. The induction occurred in a synchronous manner. Partly stained colonies appeared prior to CFU-E formation and are thought to be a result of asymmetric cell division. Appearance of these partly stained colonies suggested that the number of erythropoietin receptors is important in the complete responsiveness to erythropoietin. TSA8 cells constitute a suitable model system in which to analyse the mechanism of commitment in early erythropoiesis.