Sealed reticulocyte ghosts. An experimental model for the study of Fe2+ transport.
Sealed right-side-out reticulocyte ghosts transported and accumulated iron offered as 59Fe(2+)-ascorbate (Km = 1.1 microM). The uptake of iron by ghosts presented the characteristics of a transporter-mediated process: it responded to osmotic challenge, the rate of transport increased when iron was present in the opposing side, and the transport rate showed the temperature dependence typical of membrane-mediated processes. The transport of iron was dependent on an associated influx of Cl- in order to keep electroneutrality. Other transition metals, such as Cu2+, Zn2+, and Co2+, inhibited the transport of Fe2+. The overall characteristics of the system make reticulocyte sealed ghosts a very useful model in determining the basic mechanisms of membrane iron transport.