The membrane of intact human erythrocytes tolerates only limited changes in the fatty acid composition of its phosphatidylcholine.

Using the phosphatidylcholine specific transfer protein from bovine liver, native phosphatidylcholine from intact human erythrocytes was replaced by a variety of different phosphatidylcholine species without altering the original phospholipid and cholesterol content. The replacement of native phosphatidylcholine by the disaturated species, 1,2-dipalmitoyl- and 1,2-distearoylphosphatidylcholine, proceeded at a low rate and extensive replacement could only be achieved by repeatedly adding fresh donor vesicles. The replacement by disaturated molecules was accompanied by a gradual increase in osmotic fragility of the cells, finally resulting in hemolysis when 40% of the native PC had been replaced. Up to this lytic concentration, the replacement did not affect the permeability of the membrane for potassium ions. Essentially, all of the PC in the outer monolayer of the membrane could be replaced by 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl- and 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoylphosphatidylcholine. These replacements did not alter the osmotic fragility of the cells, nor the K+ permeability of the membrane. Increasing the total degree of unsaturation of the phosphatidylcholine species modified the properties of the membrane considerably. Replacement by 1,2-dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine resulted in a progressive increase in osmotic fragility and hemolysis started to occur after 30% of the native PC had been replaced by this species. K+ permeability was found to be slightly increased in this case. Cells became leaky for K+ upon the introduction of 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoylphosphatidylcholine in the membrane. The increased permeability was also reflected by an apparent increase in the resistance of the cells against osmotic shock. The conclusions to be drawn are that (i) 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl- and 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoylphosphatidylcholine are species which fit most optimally into the erythrocyte membrane; (ii) loss of membrane stability results from an increase in the degree of saturation of phosphatidylcholine (unsaturation index greater than 0.5) and (iii) the permeability is enhanced by increasing the content of highly unsaturated species (unsaturation index greater than 1.0).