FIGURE 6.

Reversibility of intraerythrocytic HbC crystal growth and dissolution. Imaging by temperature-controlled DIC microscopy. Crystals were formed by incubation of RBC at T = 37°C in hypertonic NaCl solution. The incubating solution was completely replaced by a 2.5% NaCl solution. Temperature was slowly (over ∼1 h) lowered to 35°C. The respective images of the cells are in the left column. The temperature was then raised to the same 37°C. The sequence of images in the right column is from bottom to top. The accuracy of temperature control is 0.1°C (see Materials and Methods).