Red Blood cell

membrane

Red cell membrane

The red cell

membrane consists of:
Proteins~50%
Lipids~43%
Carbohydrates~7%

Certain blood group Ags are

associated with specific membrane
structures
Many

Ags are proteins

Rhesus, Duffy, Kidd
Others are carbohydrates
ABO, Lewis, P
Others are a combination of glyolipids &
proteins
M,N
3

Composition of the red cell membrane

Carbohydrates
They

occur only on the external

surface of the red cell.
They are composed of
glycoproteins and glycolipids.

Majority of monosaccharides on red cell

membrane are six carbon sugar
In solution the six carbon atoms form a ring
The carbons are numbered around the ring from 1
-6

Seven different monosaccharides are present

on the RBC membrane external surface
N-acetylneuraminic

acid

Fucose
Glucose
Galactose
Mannose
N-acetylglucosamine
N-acetylgalactosamine

(-ve

charge)

Monosaccharides linkage

Monosaccharides are linked together

by specific enzymes
glycosyltransferases
Each transferase catalyses the
transfer of one sugar onto acceptor
sugar
The enzyme is named according to
the sugar that it transfers
7

Composition of the RBC memb. (cont.)

Lipids
Lipid

components of the red cell

membrane are:
60%

Phospholipids
30% cholesterol.
10% sphingolipids.
8

Phospholipids

Phosphate

Fatty acid tails

hydrophobic

Phosphate group head

Fatty acid

hydrophilic

Arranged as a bilayer

Phospholipid bilayer

10

Composition of the red cell membrane

Proteins

These are either:

Peripheral

(can be removed without

disturbing the membrane)
Integral, penetrating the lipid
bilayer (removed if lipid bilayer is
disturbed)11

Integral proteins

12

Peripheral Proteins

The red cell peripheral proteins interact to

form a cytoskeleton.
The cytoskeleton acts as a tough
supporting framework for the lipid bilayer.
Four peripheral proteins play a key role in
the structure of the red cell cytoskeleton,
these are :
Spectrin, which is the most abundant
Ankyrin
Protein 4.1 and
Actin

13

Spectrin
is

the most abundant, consists of

two chains, and , wound
around each other
Spectrin gives the cell membrane
its flexibility & strength
If denatured, red cell takes
spherical shape and loses
flexibility
14

Integral Proteins

These penetrate the lipid bilayer

and are firmly anchored within it via
interactions with the core.
Band 3 (acts as anion transport channel).
Glycophorins A, B, and C.
Na+/K+ ATPase.
glucose transport protein.
surface receptors. (the most important is
the transferrin receptors).

15

Blood group antigens

Blood group antigens: are antigens

found on the red cell membrane,
they are responsible for the
determination of the blood group of
the individual.
Blood group antigens are found on
both the protein and the
carbohydrate components of the
membrane glycoproteins and the
glycolipids.

16

Defects of the red cell membrane

Defects of the proteins may explain some

of the abnormalities of the shape of the
red cell membrane, e.g. hereditary
spherocytosis and elliptocytosis.
While alterations in lipid composition
because of congenital or acquired
abnormalities in plasma cholesterol or
phospholipids may be associated with
other membrane abnormalities, e.g.
target cells and acanthocytes.
17