title: Aminophospholipid translocase of human erythrocytes: phospholipid substrate specificity and effect of cholesterol.
abstract: The outside-inside translocation rate and transmembrane equilibrium distribution, at 37 degrees C, of 16 different amphiphilic spin-labeled phospholipids have been determined in human erythrocytes. The transmembrane distribution was assessed by bovine serum albumin extraction of the spin-labels present in the outer monolayer. Within 15 min, more than 90% of the phosphatidylserine analogue was found in the inner monolayer; the equilibrium distribution of phosphatidylethanolamine spin-label was approximately 85-90% inside, with a half-time for translocation of approximately 50 min. In contrast, phosphatidylcholine reached a distribution corresponding to approximately 30% of the labels inside with a half-time of approximately 8 h, and only traces of sphingomyelin were found in the inner monolayer after 16 h. Thus, the spin-label analogues distributed themselves like endogenous phospholipids in red cells with a spontaneous segregation between the amino lipids and the choline-containing phospholipids. Progressive methylation of the amine group of phosphatidylethanolamine resulted in a stepwise decrease of the specific transport; modification of the beta-carbon of the serine also decreased the efficiency of the rapid translocation without abolishing it. Phosphatidyl-propanolamine was not transported. Substitution of the glyceride group by a ceramide abolished the rapid outside-inside translocation even with a molecule bearing a serine head group. Also it was found that esterification of the sn-2 position of the glycerol component was necessary for a rapid translocation since lysophosphatidylserine was only slowly transported from outside to inside.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morrot
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hervé
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zachowski
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fellmann
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Devaux
mesh_terms: D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D049294:Phospholipid Transfer Proteins; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D013113:Spin Labels; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D049294:Phospholipid Transfer Proteins; D010743:Phospholipids; D013113:Spin Labels; D002784:Cholesterol