Lysis of erythrocytes from stored human blood by phospholipase C (Bacillus cereus).

The ability of phospholipase C (Bacillus cereus) to lyse erythrocytes from human blood that had been stored under Transfusion Service conditions for up to 16 weeks has been examined. When incubated at 20 degrees C with enzyme (0.03 mg/ml, 55 units/ml) for up to 1 h fresh erythrocytes were not lysed. After about 4 weeks of storage a population of very readily lysed erythrocytes appeared. The morphological changes in erythrocytes from blood stored up to 16 weeks were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The proportion of very readily lysed erythrocytes correlated well with the proportion of spheroechinocytes I. This morphological form was shown to be preferentially removed by phospholipase C and before lysis a transient appearance of smooth spheres occurred. The decrease in blood ATP concentrations on storage was measured and found to correlate with the disappearance of discoid erythrocyte forms, but not directly with the increased susceptibility of the erythrocytes to lysis by the enzyme. However, erythrocytes of up to at least 15 weeks of age could be made less susceptible to lysis by pre-incubation in a medium designed to cause intracellular regeneration of ATP. During the lysis of spheroechinocytes I by electrophoretically pure recrystallized phospholipase C a rapid degradation of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine + phosphatidylinositol) occurred together with a slower degradation of sphingomyelin.