Interactions of Plasmodium berghei-infected erythrocytes with complement

Incubation of radioactively labeled parasitized (Plasmodium berghei) erythrocytes (PE) with adherent peritoneal exudate cells in the presence of 10% (v/v) fresh mouse serum (NMS) resulted in the uptake of a proportion of radioactive material (PE). Inactivation of the added serum by heat or zymosan treatment resulted in diminished uptake of radioactivity. These results suggest that PE activated complement. Incubation of fresh NMS with PE reduced the hemolytic complement level of the serum as shown by its subsequent decreased ability to lyse antibody-coated rabbit red blood cells. No such effect was found when uninfected erythrocytes from either infected or uninfected blood were preincubated with fresh NMS. Thus, PE or PE-derived material activated complement. Addition of EGTA during incubation of fresh NMS with PE did not inhibit the decrease in complement level. This indicated that complement was activated by the alternative pathway. Complement levels decreased even when fresh NMS and PE were incubated in the presence of EDTA (which inhibits both classical and alternative pathway activation), suggesting that a complement activating factor (or a complement inhibitor) was released from the PE. However, lysis of PE after incubation with either fresh rabbit or guinea pig serum did not occur unless anti-mouse erythrocyte antibody was added. The production of a complement-activating factor by PE might explain part of the decreasing complement levels during infection and might enable the parasite to escape from a complement-mediated defense mechanism of the host.     

Inhibition of serum complement haemolytic activity by lipid vesicles containing phosphatidylserine

The effect of artificial model membranes on the complement system was investigated. Incubation of the model membranes with human serum resulted in consumption of complement haemolytic activity when phosphatidylserine-containing vesicles were used. The activation of the complement system appeared to proceed through the alternative pathway. This conclusion was supported by the failure of [125I]Clq to bind to the membranes suggesting that the classical pathway was not involved. Although always obtained when phosphatidylserine was present in the model membranes, the activation of complement was enhanced by the contemporaneous presence of phosphatidylethanolamine. Liposomes prepared from lipid extracts of red blood cells were also able to stimulate a concentration-dependent activation of complement. Fresh, intact erythrocytes, however, could not initiate the same effects unless opsonized by antibodies. When artificially aged in vitro, red blood cells were lysed if incubated with normal human serum or with Clq-depleted serum. However, no lysis was obtained if the 'aged' erythrocytes were incubated with serum pretreated with ammonia to destroy the C3 component of complement. It is suggested that one of the mechanisms of macrophage recognition of senescent erythrocytes might be provided by the activation of the alternative pathway of complement if phosphatidylserine becomes exposed on the surface of the aging cells.     

Isolation and identification of the third component of complement of Japanese quails

The identification of the third component of complement (C3) of Japanese quails was attempted by using rabbit antiserum prepared against quail serum-treated zymosan (ZX) as an initial reagent. This antiserum (anti-ZX) had agglutinating activity on rabbit erythrocytes reacted with quail antibody and quail complement (EACq) but not on EAq, and developed two precipitin lines against quail serum at beta- and gamma-regions in crossed immunoelectrophoresis. Subsequently, monospecific antisera to each of these precipitin lines were prepared in rabbits, and quail serum proteins reactive with these antisera were purified by salt precipitation followed by Sephadex gel filtration and DEAE cellulose column chromatography. One protein with a m.w. of 184,000 (184K) resembled mammalian C3 in that: 1) monospecific antiserum (anti-184K protein serum) agglutinated EACq but not EAq; 2) treatment of fresh quail serum with either inulin or zymosan resulted in the conversion of the precipitin line developed against 184K protein from gamma to beta in crossed immunoelectrophoresis; 3) the 184K protein was shown to consist of two polypeptide chains of 110K and 73K linked by disulfide bonds. Furthermore, the 184K protein in serum was cleaved through the incubation with inulin to 174K and 140K proteins that might correspond to C3b and C3c of human complement; 4) the 184K protein bound to zymosan was eluted with hydrazine or methylamine but not with Nonidet P-40, indicating that 184K protein binds to zymosan by a covalent bond but not by a hydrophobic one; and 5) by treatment of fresh quail serum with methylamine, complement reactivity was reduced, although its activity was restored by the addition of purified 184K protein. These results suggest the 184K protein is the quail's equivalent to mammalian C3. When quail serum was reacted with cells that had complement-activating capacity, quail C3 deposited on their membrane as in mammalians; however, no conversion of quail C3 was noted by the reaction with CVF. Antibody to quail C3 failed to cross-react with that in mammals.     

Synergistic cytotoxicity. I. Characterization of a heat labile plasma fraction that induces nonspecific cytotoxicity by human mononuclear cells.

The mechanism by which non-immune mononuclear cells recognize invading foreign material and are activated for cytotoxic attack was studied in a model system employing human mononuclear cells, fresh plasma, and 51Cr-labeled xenogeneic target erythrocytes. In these experiments, fresh antibody-depleted plasma or mononuclear leukocytes alone were poorly cytotoxic to xenogenic erythrocytes. However, these target cells were rapidly lysed when both fresh antibody-depleted plasma and mononuclear cells were present in the assay. The plasma factor could not be removed by extensive absorption with the target cells, was present in plasma from hypogammaglobulinemic patients, was heat labile, and was sensitive to incubation with zymosan and cobra venom factor. The "antigen" specificity of this reaction was directed by the serum factor inasmuch as target cells autologous to the effector cells could be killed in the presence of antibody-depleted xenogeneic plasma, but not autologous plasma. These data suggest that an important mechanism for the recognition of "foreigness" by non-immune mononuclear cells is via interaction with a plasma component, possibly a factor related to serum complement.     

Comparative effects of phosphoenolpyruvate on selected mammalian erythrocytes

1. Incubation of human, rat, cow, sheep, dog, rabbit and monkey erythrocytes with phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) resulted in increased intracellular 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG). 2. Physiologic temperature (37 degrees C) and a pH less than 6.5 were required for transport and metabolism of PEP in rat and monkey erythrocytes. 3. Although erythrocytes from all species (except pig) exhibited PEP transport and metabolism, hemoglobin oxygen affinity (HOA) was affected only in species whose hemoglobins are sensitive to 2,3-DPG. 4. These results suggest that the effect of PEP incubation on HOA is mediated through 2,3-DPG.     

Different Sensitivity of Complement to Salmonella typhimurium Accounts for the Difference in Natural Resistance to Murine Typhoid between A/J and C57BL/6 Mice

The difference in natural resistance to Salmonella typhimurium between S. typhimurium-resistant A/J mice and S. typhimurium-susceptible C57BL/6 mice was analyzed. In both strains, the growth of S. typhimurium was controlled in the spleen until 48 hr of infection, while serum C3b levels were increased in A/J mice immediately after infection but not in C57BL/6 mice. Incubation of A/J mouse serum with S. typhimurium or its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) generated sufficient amounts of C3b, but that of C57BL/6 mouse serum with them did not. A/J macrophages had higher intracellular killing activity in vitro than did C57BL/6 cells against S. typhimurium pre-opsonized with each corresponding fresh serum. However, the cells from both mice exhibited a similar level of killing activity against S. typhimurium pre-opsonized with fresh A/J serum or rabbit complement. The resistance of C57BL/6 mice was significantly increased by opsonizing S. typhimurium with fresh A/J serum or rabbit complement before inoculation. The serum level of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in A/J mice was 2.7 times as high as in C57BL/6 mice at 48 hr post-infection. Recombinant murine IFN-γ enhanced the intracellular killing activity of macrophages from both mice when S. typhimurium was pre-opsonized with fresh A/J serum but not with fresh C57BL/6 serum. These findings suggest that A/J macrophages exhibit maximal killing activity against A/J serum-opsonized S. typhimurium in vivo when the cells are activated with IFN-γ. Therefore, the rapid and sufficient activation of complement by Salmonella LPS may render A/J mice more resistant against murine typhoid.     

The binding of complement component C3 to antibody-antigen aggregates after activation of the alternative pathway in human serum.

Preformed immune aggregates, containing antigen and either IgG (immunoglobulin G) or F(ab')2 rabbit antibody, were incubated with normal human serum under conditions allowing activation of only the alternative pathway of complement. Both the IgG and F(ab')2 immune aggregates bound C3b, the activated form of the complement component C3, in a similar manner, 2-3% of the C3 available in the serum being bound to the aggregates as C3b, and the rest remaining in the fluid phase as inactive C3b or uncleaved C3. It was found that the C3b was probably covalently bound to the IgG in the aggregates, since C3b-IgG complexes could be demonstrated on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, after repeated washing with buffers containing high salt or boiling under denaturing conditions. Incubation of the C3b-antibody-antigen aggregates in buffers known to destroy ester linkages had little effect on the C3b-IgG complexes, which suggested that C3b and IgG might be linked by an amide bond. Two main types of C3b-IgG complexes were found that had apparent mol.wts. of 360000 and 580000, corresponding to either one to two C3b molecules respectively bound to one molecule of antibody. On reduction of the C3b-IgG complexes it was found that the beta-chain, but not the alpha'-chain, of C3b was released along with all the light chain of IgG but only about half or less of the heavy chain of IgG. These results indicate that, during activation of the alternative pathway of complement by immune aggregates containing IgG antibody, the alpha'-chain of C3b may become covalently bound at one or two sites in the Fd portion of the heavy chain of IgG.     

Serum-induced inhibition of isotonic fluid absorption by the kidney proximal tubule. III. Further evidence that complement-mediated cell lysis is involved.

The results of our previous studies have suggested that serum-induced inhibition of proximal tubular fluid absorption is due to complement-induced lysis of the tubular cells. The present study provides further evidence in support of this idea as well as other information pertinent to the mechanism of complement activation in vivo. 1. The electrical resistance of the luminal brush border membrane is reduced drastically concomitantly with a drop in cell potential difference when serum is perfused intraluminally. 2. Human C1 inhibitor (30-50 units/ml) does not significantly affect the inhibitory activity of human serum on fluid absorption, suggesting the non-involvement of the classical pathway. 3. Reactive lysis reagents (C56, C7, C8 + C9) partially inhibit fluid absorption when infused into the lumen. 4. In contrast to our previous report (Sato, K. and Ullrich, K.J. (1974) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 354, 182-187), very fresh serum, 10-times diluted can inhibit fluid absorption if perfused for 10 min. 5. Both mouse and guinea pig serum, which are normally inactive, are activated to attack the tubular cells if 1/100 volume rat or rabbit serum is added to them No such activation occurs by mixing guinea pig serum and mouse serum. The available data suggest that the presence of the later complement components but not the heat-labile factor (Factor B) or C3PA or C1 in the added serum is a prerequisite for mouse and guinea pig sera to be activated to inhibit fluid absorption.     

Enhanced IgG- and complement-independent phagocytosis of sulfatide-enriched human erythrocytes by human monocytes.

Phagocytosis by adherent human monocytes of human erythrocytes (RBC), sulfatide-enriched by incubation with 10(-12) to 10(-9) M cerebroside sulfate, was enhanced approx. 6-fold. Increased phagocytosis was observed only in RBC opsonized with fresh plasma, and not in non-opsonized or serum-opsonized RBC. Increased phagocytosis was immunoglobulin- and complement independent. Thrombospondin and von Willebrand factor, present in plasma but not in serum, and binding selectively to sulfatides, are likely mediators of the enhanced phagocytosis.     

Sex- and species-related differences in the biotransformation of isosorbide dinitrate by various tissues of the rabbit and rat

The biotransformation of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) by various tissues of the rabbit and rat was examined. Incubation of 2 X 10(-7) M ISDN at 37 degrees C with tissue homogenates of liver, lung, kidney, intestine, skeletal muscle, aorta, and erythrocytes from the rabbit and rat resulted in a significant disappearance of ISDN after a 30-min incubation (also, 5-min incubation for liver). The disappearance of ISDN in each tissue homogenate was accompanied by an equimolar production of the mononitrate metabolites, isosorbide-2-mononitrate (2-ISMN) and isosorbide-5-mononitrate (5-ISMN), with the exception of liver homogenates where the loss of ISDN could not be accounted for by mononitrate formation. The relative rate of ISDN disappearance in various tissue homogenates was for the male rabbit, liver greater than lung approximately intestine greater than kidney greater than erythrocytes approximately skeletal muscle approximately aorta; for the female rabbit, liver greater than kidney approximately lung approximately intestine greater than erythrocytes approximately skeletal muscle approximately aorta; and for the male rat, liver greater than intestine greater than erythrocytes greater than skeletal muscle greater than lung approximately kidney. A sex difference in the percent disappearance of ISDN was observed in homogenates of lung and intestine from male and female rabbits. In addition, a sex difference in the ratio of metabolite (2-ISMN/5-ISMN) formed by denitration of ISDN was seen in homogenates of lung, skeletal muscle, and erythrocyte lysate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Isolation and characterization of rabbit H of the alternative complement pathway

Rabbit factor H, a control protein of the alternative complement pathway, was isolated from rabbit serum by polyethylene glycol precipitation, DEAE-Sephacel chromatography, and gel chromatography on Sephadex G200. The protein migrated as a single-chain polypeptide with a molecular weight of 160,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis with Laemmli's buffer system, but hardly migrated into the gel with Fairbanks' buffer system. Physical and chemical properties of rabbit H were similar to those of human H, except that fragments produced by limited tryptic digestion from rabbit H had different molecular sizes from those produced from human H. Significant species-specificity was observed in the functional activity of factor H; activation of the alternative complement pathway was inhibited more efficiently with homologous H than with heterologous H. In contrast, factor H inhibited the hemolysis of homologous erythrocytes less than that of heterologous erythrocytes.     

Evidence for different requirements in physical state for the interaction of lipopolysaccharides with the classical and alternative pathways of complement

The influence of the state of aggregation of lipopolysaccharides upon their ability to interact with serum complement via either the classical or alternative pathway was studied. The anticomplement properties of two chromatographically distinct fractions of a phenol-extracted lipopolysaccharide isolated from Serratia marcescens were assessed by means of the standard sheep erythrocyte hemolytic assay and an alternative pathway-selective kinetic assay using rabbit erythrocytes. Both the high molecular weight PI fraction and the lower molecular weight PII fraction exerted anti-complement activity as determined in the sheep erythrocyte assay. Conversion of fractions PI and PII to their more soluble triethylamine salt forms resulted in a decrease in sedimentation coefficients and a corresponding loss of anticomplement activity. Further, the anticomplement activity of fractions PI and PII in the sheep erythrocyte assay was inhibited by polymyxin B, indicating a role for the lipid A region. Unlike the PII fraction, only the PI fraction can activate serum complement via the alternative pathway. This activity is not inhibited by polymyxin B, indicating that the response is not lipid A-mediated. Significantly, solubilization of the PI fraction with triethylamine had no effect on its ability to activate the alternative pathway. These studies clearly demonstrate that the interaction between lipopolysaccharides and serum complement is influenced by the state of lipopolysaccharide aggregation. However, this appears to be the case for lipopolysaccharide activation of the classical pathway but not of the alternative pathway.     

The activation of the alternative complement pathway by fetal calf serum and mouse thymocytes.

Mouse thymocytes activated the alternative complement pathway of mouse serum in the presence of heated fetal calf serum. The activation required C3 from the fetal calf serum but was independent of antibody either in the murine or bovine serum. No other murine cells tested, including erythrocytes, peripheral blood lymphocytes, lymph node cells, spleen cells, and various cultured cell lines, activated the alternative complement pathway as effectively as thymocytes. In addition, sera from species other than cows could not substitute for fetal calf serum. The C3 deposited on thymocytes was in the form of both C3b (immune adherence positive) and C3bi (conglutinable). We propose that the basis of activation in this system is the specific protection of bovine C3b on mouse thymocyte surface.     

A reexamination of the role of clusterin as a complement regulator.

Clusterin is a highly conserved glycoprotein which has been proposed to protect host cells against complement-mediated cytolysis. We tested the hypothesis that clusterin is a complement regulator using erythrocytes and cells which had been stably transfected with a membrane-anchored form of clusterin as targets for complement-mediated cytolysis. Clusterin gave dose-dependent protection of antibody-coated sheep erythrocytes against complement-mediated lysis by diluted normal human serum. There was a linear relationship between the concentration of clusterin giving 50% protection and the concentration of serum; extrapolation of this to the case of undiluted human serum showed that a clusterin concentration at least two orders of magnitude greater than its physiological plasma concentration would be needed to confer protection against complement-mediated cytolysis under physiological conditions. Physiological concentrations of clusterin did not protect rabbit erythrocytes against alternative complement pathway-mediated lysis using dilute human serum. Exogenous clusterin had no effect on lysis of human erythrocytes triggered by the addition of inulin to autologous human serum. Induction of cell-surface clusterin expression by L929 (murine fibroblast) cells which had been stably transfected with cDNA for human clusterin linked to DNA coding for the 44 C-terminal amino acid residues of CD55 did not protect the cells against complement-mediated lysis by either normal or clusterin-depleted human serum. These data suggest that clusterin may not be a physiologically relevant regulator of complement activation.     

The apparent transfer of fatty acid from phosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylethanolamine in human erythrocytes

In previous studies an apparent transfer of (14)C-labeled fatty acid from phosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylethanolamine was observed in prelabeled human erythrocytes reincubated in fresh serum. These data could have been explained by direct fatty acid transfer from phosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylethanolamine or by an apparent transfer simulated by either demethylation of labeled phosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylethanolamine or base-exchange of phosphatidylcholine with ethanolamine. To explore these possibilities, RBC containing phosphatidylcholine doubly labeled with palmitic acid-9,10-(3)H and with choline-1,2-(14)C were prepared. Upon reincubation in fresh serum, incorporation of (3)H (fatty acid) into phosphatidylethanolamine was observed without incorporation of (14)C (choline). In similar experiments in which RBC labeled with (3)H-labeled fatty acid alone were used, (14)C-ethanolamine added to the incubation was not incorporated into the isolated phosphatidylethanolamine which again showed incorporation of the fatty acid-(3)H. The data indicate that direct transfer of fatty acid from phosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylethanolamine can occur in human erythrocytes incubated in fresh serum.     

The effects of antibodies and complement in macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity on metacercariae of the lung fluke, Paragonimus westermani

Paragonimus westermani is a tissue migrating parasite in the early stage until arriving at lung, and most of the parasites spend their life spans there. Considerable immune responses including activation of macrophages are taken place during the residence of parasites in the host. However, concerning the immunologic defense mechanisms of the host against this parasite, only a few document is available so far. In this study, the cytotoxic effect of peritoneal macrophages under the presence of antibody and/or complement against metacercariae of P. westermani was investigated in vitro. Metacercariae were collected from the crayfish, Cambaroides similis and hatched out in Tyrode solution (pH 7.4). Plastic adherent cells from normal or infected rat (Wistar) peritoneal exudates were used as experimental macrophages. Polyclonal antibodies were obtained from infected rats and a cat. Cat IgG was fractioned with ion exchange chromatography. Fresh rabbit complement was used according to experimental scheme. Various combinations of peritoneal macrophages, normal or infected rat serum, complement and cat IgG were incubated at 36 degrees C in 5% CO2 incubator for 6, 14, 24 and 48 hours. The results obtained were as follows: 1. P. westermani infection activated peritoneal macrophages non-specifically and this activation induced increases of cell adherence and cytotoxicity on metacercariae. 2. In the presence of infected rat serum the antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity of peritoneal macrophages on metacercariae was significantly increased and showed a peak at 6-hour incubation. But the cytotoxic effect was markedly reduced after inactivation of complement and heat-labile IgE antibody by the heating of infected serum at 56 degrees C for 30 minutes. 3. The highest cytotoxic effect (100%) of concomitant incubation with IgG and complement showed 24 hours after incubation, although cell adherence was relatively low at 6-hour incubation and 0% at 24-hour incubation. 4. Coordinative functions of complement with serum and IgG were effective in cell adherence and in cytotoxicity, but it is not clear the independent role of complement on the macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity in this study. With these results it is assumed that P. westermani infection can induce the non-specific activation of peritoneal macrophages, and serum antibodies including IgE antibody might enhance the cytotoxicity by macrophages.     

Trichinella spiralis: activation of complement by infective larvae, adults, and newborn larvae.

The ability of Trichinella spiralis to activate complement (C) has been addressed by several investigators. However, these investigators employed methods in which either detection of C fragments on the parasite surface or the adherence of leukocytes to the parasite was considered an indication of C activation. The present studies were undertaken to examine: (a) whether activation of C occurs via the classical and/or alternative pathway, (b) at which stage(s) of the parasite C activating capacity is acquired, and (c) what molecular entities of the epicuticle and/or cuticle are responsible for initiating C activation. Our studies indicate that T. spiralis activates C primarily via the alternative pathway (and weakly via the classical pathway) since incubation of parasites obtained from infected mice with either normal human serum (NHS) or Mg.EGTA-NHS, followed by incubation (1 hr, 37 degrees C) with antibody-sensitized sheep erythrocytes or rabbit erythrocytes, respectively, showed a time-and parasite number-dependent depletion of C. Although the three stages of T. spiralis, i.e., infective larvae, adults and newborn larvae, are capable of activating C, the newborn appears to be the most potent activator, especially when parasite number and size are taken into consideration. Further evidence of C activation is obtained from SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis in which homogenates of parasites preincubated with NHS showed the presence of C3, C9, and C1q, whereas controls without serum were negative. Since isolated C1q was also capable of directly binding to the surface of adults and infective larvae, it is postulated that their cuticle and/or epicuticle may possess surface structures which serve as binding sites for C1q.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Nonenzymatic glycation of immunoglobulins leads to an impairment of immunoreactivity

Incubation of purified human and rabbit immunoglobulin G with glucose leads to covalent incorporation of the sugar into the protein, depending on glucose concentration, incubation time and pH. Furthermore, the level of glycated immunoglobulin G from normal and diabetic subjects has been determined using the thiobarbituric acid reaction. The median for glycated immunoglobulin G, expressed as mmol 5-hydroxymethylfurfural per mol IgG, obtained from 20 normal and 29 diabetic subjects was 62 and 107, respectively. Glucose incubation of immunoglobulin G purified from rabbit anti-human-transferrin serum, from human anti-varicella/zoster virus serum and from human anti-lues-spirochete serum, respectively, leads to a marked decrease in biological activity, as determined in a micro complement fixation test. Inactivation of specific antibody was dependent on incubation time and glucose concentration employed. Loss in complement-fixing activity was observed at glycation levels well comparable to those found in diabetics.     

Species specificity of recognition by the alternative pathway of complement

The recognition function of the alternative complement pathway was studied with isolated human and rabbit components. Zymosan and homologous and heterologous erythrocytes were used as representative activators or nonactivators. The binding affinity of Factor B and Factor H for particle-bound C3b was measured. In both species, the average affinity of Factor H for bound C3b on homologous cells (nonactivators) was eight to 10 times higher than on zymosan particles (activators). The interaction between Factor H and C3b on rabbit erythrocytes was species-specific: rabbit Factor H bound strongly to rabbit C3b on rabbit erythrocytes and also on human erythrocytes, which are nonactivators for the rabbit alternative pathway. Human Factor H bound strongly to human C3b on human erythrocytes but seven times weaker on rabbit erythrocytes, which are activators of the human alternative pathway. No substantial differences were found in the binding of Factor B to bound C3b regardless of the nature of the particle to which C3b was bound. The results indicate that in the two species studied, the molecular mechanism of recognition is analogous and that recognition is species-specific.     

Heterotrimeric G protein Gi is involved in a signal transduction pathway for ATP release from erythrocytes

Erythrocytes are reported to release ATP in response to mechanical deformation and decreased oxygen tension. Previously we proposed that receptor-mediated activation of the heterotrimeric G protein G(s) resulted in ATP release from erythrocytes. Here we investigate the hypothesis that activation of heterotrimeric G proteins of the G(i) subtype are also involved in a signal transduction pathway for ATP release from rabbit erythrocytes. Heterotrimeric G proteins G(alphai1), G(alphai2), and G(alphai3) but not G(alphao) were identified in rabbit and human erythrocyte membranes. Pretreatment of rabbit erythrocytes with pertussis toxin (100 ng/ml, 2 h), which uncouples G(i/o) from their effector proteins, inhibited deformation-induced ATP release. Incubation of rabbit and human erythrocytes with mastoparan (Mas, 10 microM) or Mas-7 (1 microM), which are compounds that directly activate G(i) proteins, resulted in ATP release. However, rabbit erythrocytes did not release ATP when incubated with Mas-17 (10 microM), which is an inactive Mas analog. In separate experiments, Mas (10 microM) but not Mas-17 (10 microM) increased intracellular concentrations of cAMP when incubated with rabbit erythrocytes. Importantly, Mas-induced ATP release from rabbit erythrocytes was inhibited after treatment with pertussis toxin (100 ng/ml, 2 h). These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the heterotrimeric G protein G(i) is a component of a signal transduction pathway for ATP release from erythrocytes.