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M Brumen

Publications and source records attributed to M Brumen.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Modelling of phospholipid translocation in the erythrocyte membrane: a combined kinetic and thermodynamic approach.

A mathematical model for the dynamics of transbilayer movements of lipids in the erythrocyte plasma membrane is presented. It takes into account an active carrier which mediates the ATP-dependent translocation of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine from the outer to the cytoplasmic leaflet of the membrane and passive fluxes of these lipids as well as of phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin and cholesterol between both layers. It is assumed that the passive fluxes are driven by concentration gradients of the lipids and by mechanical forces which result from area limitation for lipid occupation in both leaflets. Compared with a previous mathematical treatment of lipid translocation processes in the erythrocyte membrane the present model is much closer to realistic conditions, e.g. concerning the number of lipid species involved. Furthermore, the use of linear flux-force relationships as known from irreversible thermodynamics allows a simpler treatment of the passive fluxes than before and provides a relevant framework to study the coupling between the various processes. The model allows to simulate the time dependent changes of lipid concentrations which take place after activation or inhibition of ATP-dependent translocation. Using realistic parameter values it explains in quantitative terms the stationary asymmetric distribution of lipids under in vivo conditions. Using principles of metabolic control analysis we are able to quantify the role of the various active and passive processes in determining the asymmetric distribution for each lipid species.

Animals

Diffusion layer caused by local ionic transmembrane fluxes.

Ionic concentrations in the close proximity of a carrier may be different from those in the bulk solution. An immediate layer in the solution in which this situation occurs is known as a diffusion layer. Such diffusion layers were calculated using general diffusion equations and postulating a membrane to be homogeneous in the plane with respect to its permeability. In contrast, the present mathematical model considers single-carrier mediated transport of ions across the membrane and their diffusion away from the carrier site into the electrolyte solution. In particular, the transport of Ca2+ ions is considered. The diffusion of electrolyte ions (Na+ and Cl-) and of Ca2+ ions is described by the Nernst-Planck electrodiffusion equation. The relation between the local electric potential and the ion concentrations is taken into account by the Poisson equation. The equations are solved numerically for radial symmetry by the relaxation method. The model predicts concentration and potential profiles in dependence of the flux rate of Ca2+ ions. It is shown that for fluxes mediated by a single carrier, a diffusion layer becomes significant if the flux is larger than 10(5) Ca2+ ions per second.

Calcium

Low pH induced shape changes and vesiculation of human erythrocytes.

Shape changes and vesiculation were induced in intact human erythrocytes by gradually decreasing pH in the cell suspension. A sequence of different shapes preceding vesiculation was documented, i.e. discocytes, stomatocytes, and stomatoacantocytes. The final state was characterized by spherical mother cells and vesicles released. Low pH-induced vesiculation was also studied in the presence of stomatocytogenic or echinocytogenic compounds. The action of stomatocytogenic compounds was inhibitory, and echinocytogenic compounds had no effect on low pH-induced vesiculation. Vesiculation induced by low pH was studied also in isotonic solutions of different sucrose/salt composition. It was concluded that (i) low intracellular pH is responsible for cell shape transformations as well as for release of vesicles, (ii) at temperature 37 degrees C the intracellular pH value which induces the release of vesicles is 5.4, and (iii) the sequence of typical shape changes preceding vesiculation does not include echinocytes. The results are discussed on the basis of the layered membrane model of the shape formation and shape transformations of the human erythrocyte, and additionally considering the partial detachment of the membrane skeleton from the bilayer part of the membrane.

Erythrocyte Membrane

Mathematical modelling of lipid transbilayer movement in the human erythrocyte plasma membrane.

A model is presented to simulate transverse lipid movement in the human erythrocyte membrane. The model is based on a system of differential equations describing the time-dependence of phospholipid redistribution and the steady state distribution between the inner and outer membrane monolayer. It takes into account several mechanisms of translocation: (i) ATP-dependent transport via the aminophospholipid translocase; (ii) protein-mediated facilitated and (iii) carrier independent transbilayer diffusion. A reasonable modelling of the known lipid asymmetry could only be achieved by introducing mechanism (iii). We have called this pathway the compensatory flux, which is proportional to the gradient of phospholipids between both membrane leaflets. Using realistic model parameters, the model allows the calculation of the transbilayer motion and distribution of endogenous phospholipids of the human erythrocyte membrane for several biologically relevant conditions. Moreover, the model can also be applied to experiments usually performed to assess phospholipid redistribution in biological membranes. Thus, it is possible to simulate transbilayer motion of exogenously added phospholipid analogues in erythrocyte membranes. Those experiments have been carried out here in parallel using spin labeled lipid analogues. The general application of this model to other membrane systems is outlined.

Adenosine Triphosphate

Microspectroscopy of red blood cells.

Spectroscopic techniques have been widely employed to analyze properties of macromolecules and dynamics of intracellular events on bulk preparations of cells. The development of computer controlled microspectrophotometers has made possible the study of the same events in single cells, often providing significant and unexpected results. This paper briefly reviews experimental works carried out in our laboratories on single red blood cells. Microspectrophotometric techniques were applied which make use of the fact that ligand binding to intracellular haemoglobin is associated with optical changes. Information on the relative abundance of different haemoglobin components inside single erythrocytes of trout blood was obtained from spectra of air equilibrated samples, taking advantage of the extreme pH sensitivity of one of the four haemoglobin components. The kinetics of oxygen and carbon monoxide binding to haemoglobin has been followed and demonstrated to correspond to a zero order process, with a rate much slower than that characteristic for haemoglobin in solution. These results demonstrate that the process is diffusion limited; computer simulations suggest that ligand uptake is limited by the time required for the diffusion from the extracellular space of enough ligand molecules for total saturation of intraerythrocytic haemoglobin. Finally, oxygen dissociation curves in single red blood cells can be obtained by means of particular flow cell, with promising results for the study of physiological and pathological processes (namely red cell sickling in drepanocytosis).

Animals

A microspectroscopic analysis of ligand binding in single erythrocyte.

The kinetics of ligand uptake by erythrocytes has been analyzed by single cell microspectroscopy measurements carried out in parallel with mathematical simulations. The main experimental feature is the linear shape of the ligand binding progress curves, whose slope is dependent on the free ligand concentration in the speciman. From the computer simulation a predominant role has been shown to be played by the ligand diffusion from the extracellular space.

Carbon Monoxide

A metabolic osmotic model of human erythrocytes.

A metabolic osmotic model of red blood cells is presented which takes into account the main reaction steps of glycolysis and the passive and active fluxes of ions across the cell membrane. Cellular energy metabolism and osmotic behaviour are linked by the ATP consumption for the active transport of cations as well as by the osmotic action of the glycolytic intermediate 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG). The model is based on a system of differential equations describing the metabolic reactions and transport processes. Further, two algebraic conditions for the osmotic equilibrium and the electroneutrality of the cell are considered. Using realistic system parameters the model allows the calculation of a great number of dependent variables, among them the cell volume, the concentrations of metabolites and ions and the transmembrane potential. Only stationary states are considered. The parameter dependence of important model variables is characterized by control coefficients. The main results are: (a) The volume of erythrocytes is mainly determined by the permeabilities of the leak fluxes of cations, the content of hemoglobin and the activity of the hexokinase-phosphofructokinase system of glycolysis; (b) Changes of volume affect the glycolytic rate mainly by changing the concentration of ATP which is a regulator of glycolysis; (c) A change in the membrane area may affect the other cell properties only if it is connected with variations of the number of active and leak sites of the membrane.

2,3-Diphosphoglycerate

A mechanism for indirect allosteric action of charged effectors.

A mechanism for indirect allosteric action of charged effectors on substrate binding to a macromolecule is proposed. It is accounted for by electrostatic interaction among effectors in the solution, away from their receptors. The possibility of the mechanism proposed is tested in the allosteric action of univalent salt and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate on oxygen binding to hemoglobin. A model for electrostatic interaction between these two effectors in the solution and for their overall effect on oxygen binding is introduced. The 2,3-diphosphoglycerate binding constant to deoxygenated hemoglobin as a function of univalent salt concentration and the median ligand activity as a function of the concentration of univalent salt and 2,3-diphoshoglycerate are calculated and compared with experimental data. The obtained results indicate that electrostatic interaction in the solution may significantly contribute to indirect allosteric action of charged effectors.

Allosteric Regulation

A model of the pH-dependence of the number of oxygen-linked chloride binding sites in hemoglobin.

A model is presented of the pH-dependence of the number of oxygen-linked chloride binding sites established by nuclear magnetic resonance quadrupole-relaxation studies on various mutant and chemically modified hemoglobins. The predictions of the model are in good qualitative agreement with the measured pH-dependences of the linewidth of the 35Cl- NMR signal. The obtained agreement implies that more chloride is bound to oxygenated than to deoxygenated hemoglobin.

Chlorides