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Single cell microspectroscopy reveals that erythrocytes containing hemoglobin S retain a ‘memory’ of previous sickling cycles
Author(s) -
Coletta Massimo,
Alayash A.I.,
Wilson M.T.,
Benedetti P.A.,
Evangelista V.,
Brunori Maurizio
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(88)80299-0
Subject(s) - hemoglobin , intracellular , absorbance , biophysics , red blood cell , chemistry , cell , extracellular , red cell , photodissociation , biochemistry , photochemistry , chromatography , biology , medicine
Red blood cells from patients homozygotes for hemoglobin S (HbS) have been studied using a computer‐controlled microspectrophotometer, which allows measurements of spectra and dynamics to be undertaken in a single erythrocyte. Complete photodissociation of HbCO results in polymerization of intracellular deoxyhemoglobin S and deformation of the cell. This is associated with a delayed optical change, which, for the same cell, was found to be highly reproducible between repeated cycles of sickling. Comparison of photographic records and absorbance time courses indicates that an erythrocyte, once having undergone a photochemically induced sickling event, always deforms along the same axis during subsequent cycles. This behaviour implies that the cell retains a ‘memory’ of its previous cycle(s) possibly via slow relaxations of the membrane. In addition, rebinding of CO to intracellular hemoglobin was found to be slower if measured after deformation of the cell, with possible important implications for the pathological mechanism of sickling.