Chloride/bicarbonate exchange in human erythrocytes.

1. The exchange of chloride and bicarbonate across the human erythrocyte membrane has been followed by measuring the changes in extracellular pH which occur when chloride-rich erythrocytes are added to chloride-free media containing varying concentrations of bicarbonate and carbonic anhydrase. 2. The dependence of the rate of chloride/bicarbonate exchange on the extracellular concentration of bicarbonate was consistent with the existence of a saturable membrane anion transporter exhibiting Michaelis--Menten kinetics. In a medium containing sodium gluconate buffered to pH 7.0 with imidazole--malate the Km for bicarbonate activation of transport was 0.39 (+/- 0.03) mM and the Vmax was 2033 (+/- 80 m-mole anions exchanged/3 X 10(13) cells. min, at 10 degrees C. 3. Chloride/bicarbonate exchange was temperature-dependent with an Arrhenius activation energy of 19.4 kcal/mole in the temperature range 2--10 degrees C. 4. Exchange of intracellular chloride for extracellular bicarbonate was inhibited by the presence of extracellular halides. Inhibition by chloride, bromide and fluoride was competitive and the affinity of the transport system decreased in the order HCO-3 greater than Cl- greater than Br- greater than F-. The kinetics of inhibition by iodide were complex, but inhibitory effects of low concentrations of iodide were less than those of chloride and bromide.