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The Journal of General Physiology, Vol 58, 190-210, Copyright © 1971 by The Rockefeller University Press

ARTICLE

Chemical Modification of Membranes

1. Effects of sulfhydryl and amino reactive reagents on anion and cation permeability of the human red blood cell



Philip A. Knauf 1 and Aser Rothstein 1

1 From the Department of Radiation Biology and Biophysics, The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14620.

Dr. Knau's present address is Department of Physiology, Yale University Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.

Four different amino-reactive reagents, 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyano-stilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (SITS),1 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (FDNB), 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS), and 2-methoxy-5-nitrotropone (MNT) decrease the anion permeability of the human red blood cell, as measured by sulfate fluxes, whereas the sulfhydryl agent, parachloromercuriphenyl sulfonic acid (PCMBS), does not. In contrast, PCMBS increases the cation permeability as measured by K+ leakage, whereas SITS does not. Of the other agents, FDNB increases the cation permeability to the same extent as PCMBS but MNT and TNBS produce smaller increases. PCMBS does not protect against FDNB as it does against other sulfhydryl agents (X-irradiation) and the FDNB effect on cations is attributed to amino groups. Studies of the binding of SITS indicate that it does not penetrate into the membrane and its failure to influence cation permeability is attributed to its inability to reach an internal population of amino groups. It is concluded that two ion permeability barriers, both involving proteins, are present in the red blood cell. The more superficial barrier contains amino groups and controls anion flow; the more internal barrier contains sulfhydryl and amino groups and controls cation flow. The amino groups contribute to the control of permeability by virtue of their positive charges, but the role of sulfhydryl groups is not clear. Only a small fraction of the membrane protein amino and sulfhydryl is involved in the barriers.

Submitted on December 21, 1970


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