Cell Membrane Shape Control - Effects of Chloromethyl

The shape of the human erythrocyte is normally maintamed in vivo as a biconcave disc for 120 days. In vitro. the cell shape can be altered readily by amphipathic cornpounds; however. given time and an energy source. the cells can recover the discoid morphology. An active shape control mechanism is postulated to regulate erythrocyte shape. The shape recovery process is a necessary element in reversing pertubations of shape and is basic to our understanding of how membrane shape is altered. We report here that the process of shape recovery from crenation is dramatically accelerated upon pretreatment of the cells with micromolar (20-100 zM) concentrations of chloromethyl ketone peptides [such as N-a-tosyl-i-phenylalanine-chloromethyl ketone (tos-pheCH2Cl)J. Such protreatments do not appear to affect cellular viability. as