Isolation of an abnormally phosphorylated erythrocyte membrane band 3 glycoprotein from patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy.

A fraction of erythrocyte Band 3 (Mr, 93,000) glycoprotein that demonstrates decreased autophosphorylation in membranes from myotonic muscular dystrophy patients is demonstrated. Sequential affinity chromatography of Triton X-100 solubilized erythrocyte membrane proteins separated three specifically retained glycoprotein fractions on a Ricin Communis I-Sepharose 4B column. One fraction contains a portion of the major sialoglycoprotein (apparent Mr, 78,000) and is specifically eluted from the column by 10 mM NaCl and 100 mM D-galactose (10/100). The two other glycoprotein fractions are eluted by 100 mM NaCl, 10 mM D-galactose (100/10) and 100 mM NaCl, 100 mM D-galactose (100/100). The composition of both fractions contains greater than 95% Band 3 (apparent Mr, 93,000 glycoprotein. The quantities of glycoprotein in each fraction obtained from erythrocytes of myotonic dystrophy patients did not differ from the quantities obtained from control erythrocytes. Following endogenous protein kinase incubations of ghosts with [gamma-32P]ATP, the specific [32P] phosphorylation of the 10/100 and 100/10 fractions are identical. The 100/100 fraction, which makes up approximately 3% of the total erythrocyte membrane protein, demonstrates a different pattern for myotonic dystrophy patients; specific phosphorylation was reduced by 50% relative to activity in control experiments. These findings are consistent with previous experiments that demonstrated decreased autophosphorylation of the glycoprotein portion of Band 3 (Roses & Appel, 1975, J. Membrane Biol 20:51) and are consistent with the autosomal dominant mode of inheritance in this disease.