Use of phthalocyanine dye in spectroscopic research on the erythrocyte membrane with altered peripheral protein composition

The absorption spectra of Heliogen Blue (HB) dye were registered on stained ghosts of human red blood cells. The monomer-dimer ratio (M/D) was used as a characteristic of the absorbtion band of HB in the red spectral region. It is determined that incubation of ghosts in the sodium hydrate solution (pH 12) leads to changes in the visible HB spectrum. When the ghosts are stained after NaOH treatment, the M/D value decreases. When stained ghosts are treated with NaOH, the M/D value increases. The decrease in M/D value is due to the increase in HB sorption capacity of the modified membranes; the increase in M/D value is due to the removal of proteins sorbing HB. The appearance of additional sites for HB sorption and the decrease in M/D value in the HB spectrum may be explained by a conformational alteration of the integral proteins or by substitution of some molecules of the peripheral proteins for the HB molecules.     

Sorption of phthalocyanine dye by erythrocyte membranes in buffered solutions of different tonicities

The sorption of nonpenetrating vital phthalocyanine dye--Heliogen Blue (HB) into the cells was studied on the human red cells incubated in hypertonic, isotonic and hypotonic solutions. The alteration in the outer membrane surface was detected using the monomer-dimer ratio (M/D) deduced from the absorbtion spectra of the sorbed dye, and the concentration (C) of the dye in membrane. The decrease in M/D and C was found in hypotonic and hypertonic conditions, resp. The increase in the number of binding sites caused by conformational changes in membrane is discussed.     

Effects of intracellular Ca2+ and proteolytic digestion of the membrane skeleton on the mechanical properties of the red blood cell membrane

Intracellular Ca2+ at concentrations ranging from 0 to 10 mumol/l increases the shear modulus of surface elasticity (mu) and the surface viscosity (eta) of human red blood cells by 20% and 70%, respectively. K+ selective channels in the red cell membrane become activated by Ca2+. The activation still occurs to the same extent when the membrane skeleton is degraded by incorporation of trypsin into resealed red cell ghosts, suggesting that the channel activation is not controlled by the proteins of the membrane skeleton and is independent of mu and eta. Incorporation of trypsin at concentrations ranging from 0 to 100 ng/ml into red cell ghosts leads to a graded digestion of spectrin, a cleavage of the band 3 protein and a release of the binding proteins ankyrin and band 4.1. These alterations are accompanied by an increase of the lateral mobility of the band 3 protein which, at 40 ng/ml trypsin, reaches a plateau value where the rate of lateral diffusion is enhanced by about two orders of magnitude above the rate measured in controls without trypsin. Proteolytic digestion by 10-20 ng/ml trypsin leads to a degradation of more than 40% of the spectrin and increases the rate of lateral diffusion to about 20-70% of the value observed at the plateau. Nevertheless, mu and eta remain virtually unaltered. However, the stability of the membrane is decreased to the point where a slight mechanical extension, or the shear produced by centrifugation results in disintegration and vesiculation, precluding measurements of eta and mu in ghosts treated with higher concentrations of trypsin. These findings indicate that alterations of the structural integrity of the membrane skeleton exert drastically different effects on mu and eta on the one hand and on the stability of the membrane on the other.     

Electrokinetic behavior of inside-out vesicles from human red cell membranes

The electrokinetic behavior of red cell membrane vesicles of normal (ROV) and inverted (IOV) sidedness has been characterized using the laser Doppler technique of electrophoretic light scattering (ELS). At neutral pH ROV have a (approx. 25%) higher electrophoretic mobility than IOV and the two peaks can be resolved in the ELS spectrum to provide a quantitative estimate of the IOV/ROV ratio which is consistent with the ratio determined by assay of the activity of acetylcholinesterase. The ROV peak coincides with the mobility of fresh red blood cells and of resealed ghosts. Neuraminidase treatment reduces the ROV mobility by a factor of 2.6, while the IOV peak is reduced only slightly (<5%). Treatment with trypsin results in a single narrow ELS peak at about 60% of the mobility of ROV. Treatment of IOV with phospholipase C leaves the electrophoretic mobility unaltered, whereas treatment with phospholipase D increases their mode mobility by 22%. The mobility titration curve of IOV from pH 2 to pH 10 reveals three distinct inflection points which may be assigned to chemical groups on the cytoplasmic surface of the red cell membrane.     

Topology of the anion exchange protein AE1: the controversial sidedness of lysine 743

The topology of the band 3 (AE1) polypeptide of the erythrocyte membrane is not fully established despite extensive study. Residues near lysine 743 (K743) have been reported to be extracellular in some studies and cytoplasmic in others. In the work presented here, we have attempted to establish the sidedness of K743 using in situ proteolysis. Trypsin, papain, and proteinase K do not cleave band 3 at or near K743 in intact red cells, even under conditions that cause cleavage on the C-terminal side of the glycosylation site (N642) in extracellular loop 4. In contrast, trypsin sealed inside red cell ghosts cleaves at K743, as does trypsin treatment of inside-out vesicles (IOVs). The transport inhibitor 4,4'-diisothiocyanatodihydrostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate (H(2)DIDS), acting from the extracellular side, blocks trypsin cleavage at K743 in unsealed membranes by inducing a protease-resistant conformation. H(2)DIDS added to IOVs does not prevent cleavage at K743; therefore, trypsin cleavage at K743 in IOVs is not a consequence of cleavage of right-side-out or leaky vesicles. Finally, microsomes were prepared from HEK293 cells expressing the membrane domain of AE1 lacking the normal glycosylation site. This polypeptide does not traffic to the surface membrane; trypsin treatment of microsomes containing this polypeptide produces the 20 kDa fragment, providing further evidence that K743 is exposed at the cytoplasmic surface. Therefore, the actions of trypsin on intact cells, resealed ghosts, unsealed ghosts, inside-out vesicles, and microsomes from HEK293 cells all indicate that K743 is cytoplasmic and not extracellular.     

Trypsin-induced changes in the orientation of latent ATPase in protoplast ghosts from Mycobacterium phlei.

Latent ATPase, located on the inner surface of protoplast ghosts of Mycobacterium phlei, was unmasked either by trypsin or an impermeable form of trypsin, ethylene maleic anhydride-trypsin. Density gradient experiments showed that the ghost preparations remained intact following trypsin treatment. Evidence was obtained that 125I-trypsin failed to penetrate the ghost membranes. Thus, attempts were made to determine whether the ATPase molecule in the ghost membranes is accessible from the outer surface. Treatment of protoplast ghosts and trypsin-treated ghosts with 125I by the lactoperoxidase method resulted in the labeling of ATPase only in the trypsin-treated ghost preparations. The antibody to latent ATPase inhibited ATPase activity in trypsin-treated ghosts. The changes in the fluorescence polarization of diphenyl hexatriene indicated that trypsin treatment of the ghost membranes resulted in an increase in membrane fluidity. These studies suggest that the latent ATPase moiety has undergone translocation to the outer surface or it became accessible to trypsin digestion from the outer surface of the membranes as a result of removal of some proteins covering ATPase molecule in the membranes.     

Influence of preparative procedures on the membrane viscoelasticity of human red cell ghosts

The effects of systematic variations in the preparative procedures on the membrane viscoelastic properties of resealed human red blood cell ghosts have been investigated. Ghosts, prepared by hypotonic lysis at 0 degrees C and resealing at 37 degrees C, were subjected to: measurement of the time constant for extensional recovery (tc); measurement of the membrane shear elastic modulus (mu) via three separate techniques; determination of the membrane viscosity (eta m) via a cone-plate Rheoscope. Membrane viscosity was also determined as eta m = mu X tc. Compared to intact cells, ghosts had shorter tc, regardless of their residual hemoglobin concentration (up to 21.6 g/dl). However, prolonged exposure to hypotonic media did increase their recovery time toward the intact cell value. The shear elastic modulus, as judged by micropipette aspiration of membrane tongues (mu p), was similar for all ghosts and intact cells. This result, taken with the tc data, indicates that ghosts have reduced membrane viscosity. Rheoscopic analysis also showed that eta m was reduced for ghosts, with the degree of reduction (approx. 50%) agreeing well with that estimated by the product mu p X tc. However, flow channel and pipette elongation estimates indicated that the ghost membrane elastic modulus was somewhat elevated compared to intact cells. We conclude that: ghosts have reduced membrane viscosity; ghosts have membrane rigidities close to intact cells, except possibly when the membrane is subjected to very large strains; the reduction in eta m is not directly related to the loss of hemoglobin; prolonged exposure of ghosts to low-ionic strength media increases the membrane viscosity toward its initial cellular level. These data indicate that the mechanical characteristics of ghost membranes can be varied by changing the methods of preparation and thus have potential application to further studies of the structural determinants of red cell membrane viscoelasticity.     

Importance of cholesterol-phospholipid interaction in determining dynamics of normal and abetalipoproteinemia red blood cell membrane

Acanthocytic red blood cells in patients with abetalipoproteinemia have a decrease membrane fluidity that is associated with increased sphingomyelin/phosphatidylcholine (SM/PC) ratios. Here we describe studies designed to gain better insight into (i) the interrelationship between the composition of lipoprotein and red blood cell membrane in abetalipoproteinemia patients and normal controls; and (ii) how the differences in lipid composition of the red blood cell membrane affect its fluidity. The increased SM/PC ratio found in abetalipoproteinemia plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL) (3 times greater than controls) was paralleled by an increase in this ratio in acanthocytic red cells, but to a lesser degree (almost twice greater than control red cells). Cholesterol/phospholipid mole ratios (C/P) were increased 3-fold in abetalipoproteinemia HDL, but only slightly increased in red cells compared to controls values. As in the controls, 80-85% of abetalipoproteinemia red cell sphingomyelin was found to be in the outer half of the erythrocyte membrane. Membrane fluidity was defined in terms of microviscosity (eta) between 5 and 42 degrees C by the fluorescent polarization of 1,6-diphenylhexatriene (DPH) present in erythrocyte ghost membranes. At all temperatures, membrane microviscosity was higher in abetalipoproteinemia ghosts than controls, but these differences decreased at higher temperatures (12.34 vs 9.79 poise, respectively at 10 degrees C; 4.63 vs 4.04 poise at 37 degrees C). These differences were eliminated after oxidation of all membrane cholesterol to cholest-4-en-3-one by incubation with cholesterol oxidase. Following cholesterol oxidation, the membrane microviscosity decreased in patient ghosts more than in normal red blood cells so that at all temperatures no significant differences were present relative to control ghosts, in which the apparent microviscosity was also diminished but to a lesser degree. Therefore, although increased SM/PC ratios in abetalipoproteinemia may be responsible for decreased erythrocyte membrane fluidity, these effects are dependent upon normal interactions of cholesterol with red cell phospholipid.     

Ca2+-activated K+ channels in human red cells. Comparison of single-channel currents with ion fluxes

Exposure of the inner surface of intact red cells or red cell ghosts to Ca2+ evokes unitary currents that can be measured in cell-attached and cell-free membrane patches. The currents are preferentially carried by K+ (PK/PNa 17) and show rectification. Increasing the Ca2+ concentration from 0 to 5 microM increases the probability of the open state of the channels parallel to the change of K+ permeability as observed in suspensions of red cell ghosts. Prolonged incubation of red cell ghosts in the absence of external K+ prevents the Ca2+ from increasing K+ permeability. Similarly, the probability to find Ca2+-activated unitary currents in membrane patches is drastically reduced. These observations suggest that the Ca2+-induced changes of K+ permeability observed in red cell suspensions are causally related to the appearance of the unitary K+ currents. Attempts to determine the number of K+ channels per cell were made by comparing fluxes measured in suspensions of red cells with the unitary currents in membrane patches as determined under comparable ionic conditions. At 100 mM KCl in the external medium, where no net movements of K+ occur, the time course of equilibration of 86Rb+ does not follow a single exponential. This indicates a heterogeneity of the response to Ca2+ of the cells in the population. The data are compatible with the assumption that 25% of the cells respond with Pk = 33.2 X 10(-14)cm3/s and 75% with Pk = 3.1 X 10(-14)cm3/s. At 100 mM external K+ the zero current permeability of a single channel is 6.1 X 10(-14)cm3/s (corresponding to a conductance of 22 pS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Importance of cholesterol-phospholipid interaction in determining dynamics of normal and abetalipoproteinemia red blood cell membrane

Acanthocytic red blood cells in patients with abetalipoproteinemia have a decreased membrane fluidity that is associated with increased sphingomyelin/phosphatidylcholine (SM/PC)§ ratios. Here we describe studies designed to gain better insight into (i) the interrelationship between the composition of lipoprotein and red blood cell membrane in abetalipo-proteinemia patients and normal controls; and (ii) how the differences in lipid composition of the red blood cell membrane affect its fluidity. The increased SM/PC ratio found in abetalipoproteinemia plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL) (3 times greater than controls) was paralleled by an increase in this ratio in acanthocytic red cells, but to a lesser degree (almost twice greater than control red cells). Cholesterol/phospholipid mole ratios (C/P) were increased 3-fold in abetalipoproteinemia HDL, but only slightly increased in red cells compared to controls values. As in the controls, 80–85% of abetalipo-proteinemia red cell sphingomyelin was found to be in the outer half of the erythrocyte membrane. Membrane fluidity was defined in terms of microviscosity ({ie116-1}) between 5 and 42°C by the fluorescent polarization of 1,6-diphenylhexatriene (DPH) present in erythrocyte ghost membranes. At all temperatures, membrane microviscosity was higher in abetalipoproteinemia ghosts than controls, but these differences decreased at higher temperatures (12.34 vs 9.79 poise, respectively, at 10°C; 4.63 vs 4.04 poise at 37°C). These differences were eliminated after oxidation of all membrane cholesterol to cholest-4-en-3-one by incubation with cholesterol oxidase. Following cholesterol oxidation, the membrane microviscosity decreased in patient ghosts more than in normal red blood cells so that at all temperatures no significant differences were present relative to control ghosts, in which the apparent microviscosity was also diminished but to a lesser degree. Therefore, although increased SM/PC ratios in abetalipoproteinemia may be responsible for decreased erythrocyte membrane fluidity, these effects are dependent upon normal interactions of cholesterol with red cell phospholipid.     

Isolation and characterization of a 37,000-dalton protein associated with the erythrocyte membrane

We have purified a 37,000-dalton polypeptide (p37) from the red cell membrane that was found in previous studies to undergo a lineage-specific alteration in its membrane association. Our data suggest that p37 associates with the red cell membrane through electrostatic interactions that are resistant to 0.5 M NaCl or 10 mM EDTA. Conditions found to elute p37 from red cell ghosts include H2O at pH 12, 0.1 N NaOH + 1 mM ethanol and 1.0% Triton X-100. p37 was purified substantially from ghosts by Triton X-100 solubilization followed by sequential DEAE-Sephadex and CM-Sephadex chromatography. When p37 was analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, a family of isoelectric focusing variants was detected ranging in pI from 7.0 to 7.8. All of the isoelectric focusing variants showed homology to one another when compared serologically with anti-p37 antibodies or by limited peptide mapping using Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease. The isoelectric focusing variants appear to represent distinct, yet related polypeptides rather than degrees of post-translational modifications to a single species, inasmuch as all of the variants are present in anti-p37 immunoprecipitates prepared from in vitro translations programmed with p37 mRNA.     

A comparison of intact human red blood cells and resealed and leaky ghosts with respect to their interactions with surface labelling agents and proteolytic enzymes

Resealed ghosts and intact red blood cells were directly compared with respect to their interactions with surface probes and to digestion by pronase. The amount and pattern of labelling of surface proteins by 4.4′-diisothiocyano-2,2′-stilbene disulfonic acid (DIDS) and by pyridoxal phosphate-borohydride (as seen after sodium dodecylsulfate/acrylamide gel electrophoresis) was substantially the same in cells and resealed ghosts under conditions in which a relatively small change would be apparent. In each membrane system, DIDS labels a protein component of apparent molecular weight 95 000 and pyridoxal phosphate labels the same protein plus three glycoprotein components. The sensitivity of surface proteins and of DIDS and pyridoxal phosphate-labelled sites to pronase was also similar in the cells and resealed ghosts. The glycoproteins were digested, in each case, and the 95 000 (molecular weight) protein was largely split into two portions of apparent molecular weights 65 000 and 35 000, with both portions containing DIDS and pyridoxal phosphate binding sites. The pattern of labelling of “leaky” ghosts by pyridoxal phosphate in the presence of hemoglobin was similar to the labelling of intact cells, provided that the pyridoxal phosphate was present on both the outside and inside of the cells. Virtually all of the major protein components visible by staining on acrylamide gels were labelled. It is concluded that none of the probes could detect any substatial differences in reactivity of proteins of the outer surface of the membrane of the ghosts as compared to the cells and that no irreversible changes in membrane protein conformation or arrangement occur as a consequence of lysis and resealing of ghosts, that are detectable by the reported procedures.     

Evidence for the role of surface-exposed segments of the light-harvesting complex in cation-mediated control of chloroplast structure and function.

Chloroplast membranes contain a light-harvesting pigment-protein complex (LHC) which binds chlorophylls a and b. A mild trypsin digestion of intact thylakoid membranes has been utilized to specifically alter the apparent molecular weights of polypeptides of this complex. The modified membrane preparations were analyzed for altered functional and structural properties. Cation-induced changes in room temperature fluorescence intensity and low temperature chlorophyll fluorescence emission spectra, and cation regulation of the quantum yield of photosystem I and II partial reactions at limiting light were lost following the trypsin-induced alteration of the LHC. Electron microscopy revealed that cations can neither maintain nor promote grana stacking in membranes which have been subjected to mild trypsin treatment. Freeze-fracture analysis of these membranes showed no significant differences in particle density or average particle size of membrane subunits on the EF fracture face; structural features of the modified lamellae were comparable to membranes which had been unstacked in a “low salt” buffer. Digitonin digestion of trypsin-treated membranes in the presence of cations followed by differential centrifugation resulted in a subchloroplast fractionation pattern similar to that observed when control chloroplasts were detergent treated in cation-free medium. We conclude that: (a) the initial action of trypsin at the thylakoid membrane surface of pea chloroplasts was the specific alteration of the LHC polypeptides, (b) the segment of the LHC polypeptides which was altered by trypsin is necessary for cation-mediated grana stacking and cation regulation of membrane subunit distribution, and (c) cation regulation of excitation energy distribution between photosystem I and II involves the participation of polypeptide segments of the LHC which are exposed at the membrane surface.     

NMR water-proton spin-lattice relaxation time of human red blood cells and red blood cell suspensions

NMR water-proton spin-lattice relaxation times were studied as probes of water structure in human red blood cells and red blood cell suspensions. Normal saline had a relaxation time of about 3000 ms while packed red blood cells had a relaxation time of about 500 ms. The relaxation time of a red cell suspension at 50% hematocrit was about 750 ms showing that surface charges and polar groups of the red cell membrane effectively structure extracellular water. Incubation of red cells in hypotonic saline increases relaxation time whereas hypertonic saline decreases relaxation time. Relaxation times varied independently of mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration in a sample population. Studies with lysates and resealed membrane ghosts show that hemoglobin is very effective in lowering water-proton relaxation time whereas resealed membrane ghosts in the absence of hemoglobin are less effective than intact red cells.     

Cytosolic protein concentration is the primary volume signal in dog red cells

It is not known whether the activation of Na/H exchange by shrinkage in dog red cells is due to the packing of cell contents or a change in cell configuration. To make this distinction we prepared resealed ghosts that resembled intact cells in hemoglobin concentration and surface area, but had one-third their volume. A shrinkage-induced, amiloride-sensitive Na flux in the ghosts was activated at a much smaller volume in the ghosts than in the intact cells, but at the same concentration (by weight) of dry solids in both preparations. Na/H exchange in ghosts containing a mixture of 40% albumin and 60% hemoglobin (weight/weight) was activated by osmotic shrinkage at a dry solid concentration similar to that of intact cells or of ghosts containing only hemoglobin. We conclude that the process of Na/H exchange activation by cell shrinkage originates with an increase in the concentration of intracellular protein and not with a change in membrane configuration or tension. The macromolecular crowding that accompanies the reduction in cell volume probably alters the activities of key enzymes that in turn modulate the Na/H exchanger.     

Spectrophotometric study of the surface of human erythrocytes and their ghosts by using a phthalocyanine dye

Human intact erythrocytes and their ghosts (resealed and unresealed) were stained by the vital dye Heliogen Blue, which does not penetrate the cell being only sorbed by its membrane. The absorption spectra of the sorbed dye were examined. On the external surface of the membrane, the molecular (monomer) state of dye sorption is revealed, whereas on the interior side the dye sorption is mostly in the polymolecular (dimer) state. The differences in staining can be evaluated by the monomer-dimer ratio (M/D), which may be used for comparison between the sorption characteristics of membrane preparations.     

Macromolecular crowding and volume perception in dog red cells

To differentiate whether the primary volume signal in dog red cells arises from a change in cell configuration or the concentration and dilution of cell contents, we prepared resealed ghosts that had the same surface area and hemoglobin concentration as intact cells but less than 1/3 their volume. Shrinkage of both intact cells and resealed ghosts triggered Na/H exchange. Activation of this transporter in the two preparations correlated closely with cytosolic protein concentration but not at all with volume. The Na/H exchanger was more sensitive to shrinkage in albumin-loaded resealed ghosts than in intact cells or ghosts containing only hemoglobin. Similar results were obtained for the swelling-induced [K-Cl] cotransporter. We believe perception of cell volume originates with changes in cytoplasmic protein concentration. We think the kinases and phosphatases that control the activation of membrane transporters in response to cell swelling or shrinkage are regulated by the mechanism of macromolecular crowding.     

Association of Microtubules with the Plasma Membrane of Tobacco BY-2 Cells in Vitro

Membrane ghosts prepared from tobacco BY-2 cells bound microtubules(MTs) that had been assembled in an extract of evacuolated protoplastsof the same cells and, as a result, the number of MTs on theghosts increased. MTs that had formed on the ghosts after incubationwith the extract were more sensitive to cold-treatment thanthe preexisting MTs. Binding of MTs was also observed on ghoststhat had been treated with a cold solution of Ca²⁺ to removepreexisting MTs. This result suggests that a system that mediatedthe binding of MTs to the plasma membrane remained on the ghosts.No binding of MTs was observed to ghosts that had been treatedwith trypsin. Preexisting MTs were removed by treatment with0.6 M KCl or 0.1 M Na₂CO₃. Membrane ghosts treated with KClor Na₂CO₃ did not bind MTs that had been assembled in the extractin the absence of taxol. However, ghosts prepared in the sameway did bind MTs that had been assembled in the extract in thepresence of taxol. It seems that treatment with KCl or Na₂CO₃removes a component(s) from the system that mediates the bindingof MTs to the plasma membrane and that a factor(s), associatedwith MTs assembled in the extract in the presence of taxol,compensates for the loss of this component(s) from the system. (Received August 12, 1993; Accepted January 26, 1994)     

Temperature-dependent abnormalities of the erythrocyte membrane in porcine malignant hyperthermia

The temperature dependence of ATPase activities and stearic acid spin label motion in red blood cells of normal and MH-susceptible pigs have been examined. Arrhenius plots of red blood cell ghost Ca-ATPase and calmodulin-stimulable Ca-ATPase activities were identical for both normal and MH erythrocyte ghosts. Arrhenius plots of Mg-ATPase activity exhibited a break (defined as a change in slope) at 24 degrees C in both MH and normal erythrocyte ghosts. However, below 24 degrees C the apparent activation energy for this activity was less in MH than normal ghosts. To determine whether breaks in ATPase Arrhenius plots could be correlated with changes in the physical state of the red blood cell membrane, the spin label 16-doxyl-stearate was introduced into the bilayer of both erythrocyte ghosts and red blood cells. With both ghosts and intact cells, at each temperature examined, the mobility of the probe in the lipid bilayer, as measured by electron paramagnetic resonance, was greater in normal than in MH membranes. While there were no breaks in Arrhenius plots for probe motion in the erythrocyte ghosts, the apparent activation energy for probe motion was significantly greater in normal than in MH ghost membranes. While there was no break in the Arrhenius plot of probe motion in normal intact red blood cell membranes, there were breaks in the Arrhenius plot of probe motion at both 24 and 33 degrees C in intact MH red blood cell membranes. Based on the altered temperature dependence of Mg-ATPase activity and spin probe motion in membranes derived from MH red blood cells, we conclude that there may be a generalized membrane defect in MH pigs which is reflected in the red blood cell as an altered membrane composition or organization.     

Trypsinization of chick glial cells before seeding: Effects on energy metabolism enzymes and glutamine synthetase

In order to test the possible involvement of surface proteins on some metabolical aspects of chick glial cell differentiation in culture, perturbations were induced on the glial cell surface membrane by limited trypsinization before seeding. The developmental changes of enzymes involved in the energy metabolism of the cell: malate dehydrogenase (MDH), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), hexokinase (HK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), enolase as well as glutamine synthetase (GS) were determined in trypsin treated cells and controls. The total protein and DNA content per dish was higher in treated cells than in controls, however the protein ratio towards DNA remained unchanged. The levels of GS, GDH, LDH, and enolase activities were significantly enhanced after trypsin treatment of the cells compared to controls. The enhanced value of total LDH activity is essentially the result of the increase of M subunit containing isoenzymes. Considering that a higher level of GS activity characterizes some maturation of the glial cells (as observed during the maturation of the chick brain) it is apparent that modifications of cell surface located factors, by trypsin treatment, induce differentiation phenomena at the functional state of the glial cells in culture. This may indicate that interactions located at the cell surface are involved in the modulation of key enzymes of the energy metabolism pathway.