Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Biophysical Journal logoLink to Biophysical Journal
. 1977 Aug;19(2):141–161. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(77)85576-8

The determination of the electron density profile of the human erythrocyte ghost membrane by small-angle x-ray diffraction.

E H Pape, K Klott, W Kreutz
PMCID: PMC1473319  PMID: 406942

Abstract

Diffraction patterns of stacked hemolyzed erythrocyte ghosts in the wet state were recorded. Three orders of a surprisingly high first-order periodicity of 600 A were detected. The scattering curves were evaluated by the Q-function method, including lattice distortions of the one-dimensional multilamellar system. The resulting electron density profile of the membrane in the wet state is strongly asymmetric. It consists of an asymmetrical bilayer-type part and an excess of positive relative electron density at the inner, cytoplasmic, side of the membrane. The extension of the whole membrane profile in the wet state is 100--120 A. We suggest that the innermost positive density peak mainly represents the loosely bound protein components spectrin and actin, located at the cytoplasmic side of the membrane and sometimes seen as "fuzzy" material on electron micrographs.

Full text

PDF
141

Images in this article

143FIGURE 1
on p.143
144FIGURE 2
on p.144
145FIGURE 3
on p.145

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Blaurock A. E., Nelander J. C. Disorder in nerve myelin: analysis of the diffuse x-ray scattering. J Mol Biol. 1976 May 15;103(2):421–431. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(76)90321-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bramley T. A., Coleman R. Effects of inclusion of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , EDTA or EGTA during the preparation of erythrocyte ghosts by hypotonic haemolysis. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1972 Dec 1;290(1):219–228. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(72)90065-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bretscher M. S. Membrane structure: some general principles. Science. 1973 Aug 17;181(4100):622–629. doi: 10.1126/science.181.4100.622. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DODGE J. T., MITCHELL C., HANAHAN D. J. The preparation and chemical characteristics of hemoglobin-free ghosts of human erythrocytes. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1963 Jan;100:119–130. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(63)90042-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Finean J. B., Coleman R., Green W. G., Limbrick A. R. Low-angle x-ray diffraction and electron-microscope studies of isolated cell membranes. J Cell Sci. 1966 Sep;1(3):287–296. doi: 10.1242/jcs.1.3.287. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Finean J. B., Coleman R., Knutton S., Limbrick A. R., Thompson J. E. Structural studies of cell membrane preparations. J Gen Physiol. 1968 May;51(5 Suppl):19S+–19S+. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Finean J. B. X-ray diffraction studies of isolated cell membrane preparations. Chem Phys Lipids. 1972 May;8(4):279–284. doi: 10.1016/0009-3084(72)90055-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HUSSON F., LUZZATI V. Structure of red-cell ghosts and the effect of saponin treatment. Nature. 1963 Feb 23;197:822–822. doi: 10.1038/197822a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Knutton S., Finean J. B., Coleman R., Limbrick A. R. Low-angle x-ray diffraction and electronmicroscope studies of isolated erythrocyte membranes. J Cell Sci. 1970 Sep;7(2):357–371. doi: 10.1242/jcs.7.2.357. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lesslauer W., Blasie J. K. Direct determination of the structure of barium stearate multilayers by x-ray diffraction. Biophys J. 1972 Feb;12(2):175–190. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(72)86078-8. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. McIntosh T. J., Worthington C. R. Direct determination of the lamellar structure of peripheral nerve myelin at low resolution (17 A). Biophys J. 1974 May;14(5):363–386. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(74)85922-9. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McMillan P. N., Luftig R. B. Preservation of membrane ultrastructure with aldehyde or imidate fixatives. J Ultrastruct Res. 1975 Aug;52(2):243–260. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(75)80116-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Pape E. H., Menke W., Weick D., Hosemann R. Small angle x-ray scattering of the thylakoid membranes of Rhodopseudomonas speroides in aqueous suspensions. Biophys J. 1974 Mar;14(3):221–232. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3495(74)85909-6. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Pape E. H. X-ray small angle scattering. A new deconvolution method for evaluating electron density distributions from small angle scattering diagrams. Biophys J. 1974 Apr;14(4):284–294. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(74)85916-3. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Schneider W., Feine U., Schunter F., Streier K. Verlängerung der Uberlebenszeit gewaschener Erythrozytensedimente in vivo durch die wahl einer adäquaten Waschlösung. Med Welt. 1972 Mar 11;23(11):368–369. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Schwartz S., Cain J. E., Dratz E. A., Blasie J. K. An analysis of lamellar x-ray diffraction from disordered membrane multilayers with application to data from retinal rod outer segments. Biophys J. 1975 Dec;15(12):1201–1233. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(75)85895-4. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Stamatoff J. B., Krimm S., Harvie N. R. X-ray diffraction studies of human erythrocyte membrane structure. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Feb;72(2):531–534. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.2.531. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Steck T. L. The organization of proteins in the human red blood cell membrane. A review. J Cell Biol. 1974 Jul;62(1):1–19. doi: 10.1083/jcb.62.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Tilney L. G., Detmers P. Actin in erythrocyte ghosts and its association with spectrin. Evidence for a nonfilamentous form of these two molecules in situ. J Cell Biol. 1975 Sep;66(3):508–520. doi: 10.1083/jcb.66.3.508. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Weick D. Note on the theory of x-ray diffraction by spherical shell structures. Biophys J. 1974 Mar;14(3):233–235. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(74)85910-2. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wilkins M. H., Blaurock A. E., Engelman D. M. Bilayer structure in membranes. Nat New Biol. 1971 Mar 17;230(11):72–76. doi: 10.1038/newbio230072a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Worthington C. R., McIntosh T. J. Direct determination of the lamellar structure of peripheral nerve myelin at moderate resolution (7A). Biophys J. 1974 Oct;14(10):703–729. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(74)85946-1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Zwaal R. F., Roelofsen B., Colley C. M. Localization of red cell membrane constituents. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 Sep 10;300(2):159–182. doi: 10.1016/0304-4157(73)90003-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Biophysical Journal are provided here courtesy of The Biophysical Society

RESOURCES