The effect of a low pH on the membrane skeleton of the erythrocyte ghost.
The effects of an acidic pH on the membrane skeleton of erythrocyte ghosts has been investigated by negative staining and thin-section methods. At neutral pH the membrane skeleton consisted of 6-7 nm wide filaments uniformly dispersed on the inner membrane surface. At pH 5.0 the filaments fused to form a coarse network with thick strands and large areas of membrane devoid of filaments. These changes were completely reversible in many cells. They can probably account for the clustering of surface anionic sites and membranous particles which occur at a low pH and may play a role in other related events such as the change in shape of the cell and increased membrane stiffness.
D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods