Regulation of the glycophorin C-protein 4.1 membrane-to-skeleton bridge and evaluation of its contribution to erythrocyte membrane stability.

The band 3-ankyrin-spectrin bridge and the glycophorin C-protein 4.1-spectrin/actin bridge constitute the two major tethers between the erythrocyte membrane and its spectrin skeleton. Although a structural requirement for the band 3-ankyrin bridge is well established, the contribution of the glycophorin C-protein 4.1 bridge to red cell function remains to be defined. In order to explore this latter bridge further, we have identified and/or characterized five stimuli that sever the linkage in intact erythrocytes and have examined the impact of this rupture on membrane mechanical properties. We report here that elevation of cytosolic 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate, an increase in intracellular Ca(2+), removal of cell O(2), a decrease in intracellular pH, and activation of erythrocyte protein kinase C all promote dissociation of protein 4.1 from glycophorin C, leading to reduced retention of glycophorin C in detergent-extracted spectrin/actin skeletons. Significantly, where mechanical studies could be performed, we also observe that rupture of the membrane-to-skeleton bridge has little or no impact on the mechanical properties of the cell, as assayed by ektacytometry and nickel mesh filtration. We, therefore, suggest that, although regulation of the glycophorin C-protein 4.1-spectrin/actin bridge likely occurs physiologically, the role of the tether and the associated regulatory changes remain to be established.