Phase separation in frozen erythrocyte membrane preparations.
The reversible formation of a lipid-like phase in frozen preparations of erythrocyte membranes has been studied by X-ray diffraction and by electron microscopy of freeze-fracture replicas. The observations provide strong evidence for lateral migration or displacement at specific temperatures of intra-membrane particles. This creates large areas of particle-free membranes which fracture preferentially so as to dominate the freeze-fracture image.
D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005614:Freeze Fracturing / Q000379:methods*; D005615:Freezing; D005990:Glycerol; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D013696:Temperature; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction / Q000379:methods*
D005990:Glycerol