The temperature-dependent dissociation of spectrin.

Spectrin, isolated from both human and bovine erythrocyte membranes, was found to exist predominantly as a tetramer of 960 000 daltons when prepared at 4 degrees C, but as a dimer of 480 000 daltons when prepared at 37 degrees C. The purified tetramer from both species could be dissociated to dimers by low ionic strength incubation at 37 degrees C.