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Red cell aging II. Anomalous electrophoretic properties of neuraminidase treated human erythrocytes
Author(s) -
Nordt F. J.,
Knox R. J.,
Seaman G. V. F.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of cellular physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.529
H-Index - 174
eISSN - 1097-4652
pISSN - 0021-9541
DOI - 10.1002/jcp.1040970210
Subject(s) - neuraminidase , electrophoresis , chemistry , neuraminic acid , red cell , red blood cell , biochemistry , biophysics , sialic acid , biology , enzyme , computer security , computer science
Desialylation of human red blood cells (RBC) by Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase (VCN) was found to produce cells with electrophoretic properties which were inconsistent with the view of simple loss of N‐acetyl‐neuraminic acid (NANA) as the sole effect of VCN treatment. Modification of human RBC with 50–350 U VCN/10 10 RBC for one hour at 37°C releases 90–100% of the NANA and produces a progressive decrease towards zero in their electrophoretic mobilities when measured in 0.15 M NaCl (pH 7.2) at 25°C. The appearance of positive groups on the desialylated cells was indicated by the VCN‐treated cells displaying positive mobilities below ∼ pH 5.5 and increased negative mobilities at ∼ pH 9 as well as substantial increases in their mobility at neutral pH following treatment with formaldehyde. Adsorption of about 95% of the VCN activity at 0°C to the RBC did not produce any significant change in their electrophoretic mobilities thus indicating that the observed changes in the electrophoretic properties of the RBC following VCN treatment could not be attributable to adsorption of VCN. These studies indicate that the cationic charge groups which appear at the electrophoretic surface of the RBC after VCN treatment are probably of endogenous origin. It is suggested that this alteration rather than simple NANA release may operate to shorten the in vivo survival time of desialylated red cells.