Contribution of plasma membrane lipid domains to red blood cell (re)shaping

Sci Rep. 2017 Jun 27;7(1):4264. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-04388-z.

Abstract

Although lipid domains have been evidenced in several living cell plasma membranes, their roles remain largely unclear. We here investigated whether they could contribute to function-associated cell (re)shaping. To address this question, we used erythrocytes as cellular model since they (i) exhibit a specific biconcave shape, allowing for reversible deformation in blood circulation, which is lost by membrane vesiculation upon aging; and (ii) display at their outer plasma membrane leaflet two types of submicrometric domains differently enriched in cholesterol and sphingomyelin. We here reveal the specific association of cholesterol- and sphingomyelin-enriched domains with distinct curvature areas of the erythrocyte biconcave membrane. Upon erythrocyte deformation, cholesterol-enriched domains gathered in high curvature areas. In contrast, sphingomyelin-enriched domains increased in abundance upon calcium efflux during shape restoration. Upon erythrocyte storage at 4 °C (to mimick aging), lipid domains appeared as specific vesiculation sites. Altogether, our data indicate that lipid domains could contribute to erythrocyte function-associated (re)shaping.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Cell Shape*
  • Cellular Senescence
  • Cholesterol / metabolism
  • Elliptocytosis, Hereditary / metabolism
  • Elliptocytosis, Hereditary / pathology
  • Erythrocyte Deformability
  • Erythrocyte Membrane / metabolism*
  • Erythrocytes / cytology*
  • Erythrocytes / metabolism*
  • Erythrocytes / pathology
  • Humans
  • Membrane Lipids / metabolism*
  • Membrane Microdomains / metabolism*
  • Models, Biological

Substances

  • Membrane Lipids
  • Cholesterol
  • Calcium