The Red Blood Cell

A nucleated in mammals
Therefore cannot synthesize proteins
The entire array of proteins are present by the time the cell matures

Composition of RBC:
Water – 61%
Protein – 32% (mostly hemoglobin)
Carbohydrates – 7%
Lipids – 0.4%
RBC Membrane
• In early days scientists believed that the RBC membrane
is composed of one single protein and lipids

• Later in 20th century, studies using sodium dodecyl

sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-
PAGE) identified that the RBC membrane has more
than one protein

• Now over 340 proteins had been identified on the RBC

membrane
❖ One of the most important characteristics of RBC membrane is
its ability to undergo repeated passive deformation when passing
through narrow blood capillaries during its life span

❖ Tough and highly flexible

❖ RBC membranes of most animals are composed of approx. :

• 20% water
• 40% protein
• 35% lipid
• 6% carbohydrate
Membrane lipids
Membrane proteins Classification of proteins according to
function:
• Cytoskeletal proteins • Transport proteins
• Adhesion proteins
• Integral proteins
• Signaling receptors
• Proteins with unidentified function
Classification of proteins
according to the location:
Cytoskeletal proteins
• Located on the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane

• Maintains cell shape, membrane deformability, membrane

stability, and lateral movement of some integral proteins

• Also called peripheral proteins because they are not embedded in

the lipid bilayer
Spectrin
• Most abundant cytoskeletal protein
• Composed of tetramers of alpha and beta spectrin
(α2β2)
• These tetramers associate end to end into a hexagonal
network of molecules that lies underneath the plasma
membrane
• Spectrin lattice is anchored to other proteins and to
the bilayer at selected areas of the hexagon
• Spectrin molecules are secured to the lipid bilayer at
‘nodes’ called “junctional complexes”

• Junctional complexes are formed out of actin, 4.1

protein, glycophorin

• Spectrin also joins with the inner leaf of the lipid

membrane with ankyrin that is bound to band 3
Abnormalities in amount and structure of
spectrin
Hereditary spherocytosis

• Presence of spherocytes
• Spherocytes are not deformable as normal RBCs, and they
are destroyed in the spleen
• Higher susceptibility towards osmotic lysis
Integral Proteins
Band 3 – Anion exchange protein

• Made from dimers, tetramers and other larger oligomers

Functions:
▪ Aids in binding the cytoskeleton to the lipid membrane
▪ Anion exchange
▪ Binds glycolytic enzymes, hemoglobin, hemichromes

• Anion exchange is crucial hence it exchanges Cl- with

HCO3- → Why?
Glycophorins

• Heavily glycosylated
• Contains most of the sialic acid residues which are
responsible for the negative charge of the RBC
surface
SDS-PAGE in RBC
reveal 10 proteins
Haemostasis - Review