Single locus (rol) control of extreme resistance to red cell osmotic lysis: intrinsic mode of gene action

Phenotypic homogeneity with minor deviance in osmotic fragility of Sahel goat erythrocytes in non-ionic sucrose media during various physiologic states

BACKGROUND

Erythrocyte swelling in non-ionic sucrose media and the subsequent osmotic lysis are influenced by mechanisms of regulatory volume adjustment and osmotic water permeability. Kinetics of transmembrane water and ion fluxes in varied physiologic states may determine the phenotype of erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF) and affect estimates of EOF.

METHODS

Effects of sex, age, late pregnancy (third trimester) and lactation on the haemolysis of Sahel goat erythrocytes incubated in a series of hyposmotic non-ionic sucrose media were investigated.

RESULTS

The fragiligram was sigmoidal in 72 (97%) out of 74 goats. Two male (3%) goats with low and high extreme median erythrocyte fragilities (MEF), had non-sigmoidal curves. The mean fragilities at osmolarities of 30-300 mosmol/L of sucrose and the mean osmolarities responsible for 10%-90% haemolysis (CH10-CH90) were not significantly different between males and non-pregnant dry (NPD) females, amongst the age groups and between pregnant or lactating and NPD female goats. The MEF (CH50) of the goats were at osmolarities of 126-252 mosmol/L (median of data: 171 mosmol/L) with a mean of 175.24±16.20 mosmol/L. Therefore, phenotypic homogeneity of EOF occurred with minor deviance, since EOF variables were not differentiated by sex, age, late pregnancy or lactation.

CONCLUSIONS

Physiologic states of the goat did not affect EOF phenotype in non-ionic sucrose media. Sigmoidal fragility phenotype seemed to be homogeneously conserved by osmoregulatory mechanisms not partitioned by sex, age, late pregnancy or lactation, but a minor non-sigmoidal curve might have occurred due to altered erythrocyte osmotic behaviour that would require further investigation.

Resistance to osmotic lysis in BXD-31 mouse erythrocytes: association with upregulated K-Cl cotransport

The decreased osmotic fragility and reduced K+ content of BXD-31 mouse erythrocytes arise from variation at a single genetic locus. We compared ion transport in erythrocytes from BXD-31 mice and the parental strain, DBA/2J. The strains had similar rates for Na-K pump, Na/H exchange, Na-K-2Cl cotransport, Ca2+ activated K+ channel, or AE1-mediated SO4 transport. In contrast, K-Cl cotransport was twice as active in BXD-31 as in DBA/2J cells. Cl- dependent K+ efflux from BXD-31 cells displayed steep activation by acid pH (with maximal transport occurring at pH 6.75), whereas DBA/2J erythrocytes displayed a far less dramatic response to pH. Both strains displayed regulatory volume decrease in response to cell swelling. However, a 62% greater loss of cell K+ via K-Cl cotransport was observed in the BXD-31 strain. Furthermore the decreased osmotic fragility of BXD-31 red blood cells was normalized by treatment with nystatin to achieve normal cell K+ and water content. Thus upregulated K-Cl cotransport induces cell dehydration and K+ deficit in BXD-31 erythrocytes and causes their characteristic resistance to osmotic lysis.

Genetic control of erythrocyte volume regulation: effect of a single gene (rol) on cation metabolism

In laboratory mice we previously defined a gene, rol (resistance to osmotic lysis), based on its effect on erythrocyte osmotic fragility. Here we report a physiological characterization of rol gene action utilizing congenic strains developed for the purpose; these two strains have a common genetic background and differ only by the two alleles of rol, susceptible (rols) or resistant (rolr). In comparison to rols/s erythrocytes, rolr/r cells have a reduced mean cell volume, a higher mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and hemolytic volume, and respond differently to swelling induced by ion influx. Rolr/r erythrocytes also have reduced cell water and K, which are associated with a threefold higher activity of the Na-K-Cl cotransporter (measured as ouabain-resistant, bumetanide-sensitive 86Rb influx) and 30% higher Na pump activity. Apart from differences in ion transport and water content, the content of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) in rolr/r cells is 15% lower than in rols/s ones. Analyses of membrane structural components revealed no rol-associated differences in their phospholipid or fatty acid content, nor were strain differences evident among the membrane and cytoskeletal proteins and their posttranslational modifications (phosphorylation and fatty acylation). Rol is not the structural gene for either the alpha- or the beta-chain of hemoglobin and has no effect on erythrocyte production or destruction. The concerted effect of rol variation on erythrocyte volume, water and cation content, cation cotransport, and 2,3-DPG levels is similar in many ways to the variation observed among individual humans for the same characteristics.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)