[Permeability of human erythrocytes to asparagine].

Asparagine is able to penetrate into human erythrocytes from the external medium. The dependence of the asparagine transport rate on its concentration can be described by the Michaelis-Menten equation with parameters: Km = 2.50 mM, V = 0.24 mmol/l cells per hour. Loading of erythrocytes with asparaginase does not influence their permeability to asparagine. Aspartate is accumulated inside these erythrocytes during incubation with asparagine, thus reflecting rapid transformation of penetrating asparagine by entrapped asparaginase.