Comparison of hemoglobin Koln erythrocyte membranes with
malondialdehyde-reacted normal erythrocyte membranes
DW Allen, CF Burgoyne, JD Groat, CM Smith and JG White
Splenectomized patients with hemoglobin (Hb) Koln have rigid RBCs with
membrane polypeptide aggregates that are not dissociable with disulfide-
reducing agents. Malondialdehyde (MDA) action on normal RBCs produced rigid
RBCs with similar nondissociable aggregates. To test the hypothesis that Hb
Koln RBC aggregates contained unsaturated MDA-type bonds, we reduced normal
control RBC membranes, Hb Koln RBC membranes, and MDA-reacted membranes
with [3H]NaBH4. Hb Koln RBC membranes and MDA- reacted membranes both had
significantly more 3H incorporation than control membranes. Furthermore, 3H
incorporation in both Hb Koln and MDA-treated membranes was located in the
membrane polypeptide aggregates, presumably saturating the crosslinking
bonds. After reaction of RBCs with [14C]MDA, the MDA label was similarly
concentrated in the membrane polypeptide aggregates. Normal RBC membranes
incubated with MDA were analyzed with and without reduction by NaBH4 prior
to amino acid determination by high-performance liquid chromatography
(HPLC). Reduction with NaBH4 after MDA treatment decreased the lysyl
residues by 33% and the serine by 7% and increased by 10% the methionyl
residues, but did not affect 12 other amino acids. Similar changes could be
detected in NaBH4-reduced Hb Koln aggregates in methionine and serine
content. MDA may also alter protein configuration, as evidenced by an
increase in the protease susceptibility of membrane proteins from
MDA-treated and Hb Koln RBCs. We conclude that Hb Koln RBC membranes, like
MDA-treated membranes, have similar high molecular weight aggregates
conferring decreased membrane deformability, [3H]NaBH4-reducible
unsaturated bonds, changes in amino acid composition upon reduction, and
protease-sensitive configurational changes.
Volume 64,
Issue 6,
pp. 1263-1269,
12/01/1984
Copyright © 1984 by The American Society of Hematology