RESUMO
Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was applied to examine the nature and extent of changes in membrane composition and structure during the aging process of the human erythrocyte. Analysis of the Amide I region (1700-1600 cm-1) indicates an aging-related decrease in alpha-helical structure with a concomitant increase in beta-structure. These changes can be explained by structural changes in the erythrocyte anion exchanger (band 3 or AE1) molecules, that may be caused by fragmentation, but not by aggregation. Immunohistochemical analysis of human brain tissue shows an increase in neuronal AE protein expression with age and suggests an additional increase in Alzheimer's disease. Biochemical analyses indicate that the latter may be caused by conformational changes in the AE membrane domain that are similar to those observed in AE1 during erythrocyte aging. AE proteins provide a binding site for the cytoskeleton in neurons, and AE-catalyzed chloride/bicarbonate exchange plays a major role in maintenance of neuronal pH. Thus, changes in AE structure are likely to contribute to loss of neuron homeostasis during aging and in neurodegenerative diseases.
Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer/metabolismo , Proteína 1 de Troca de Ânion do Eritrócito/química , Antiporters/química , Química Encefálica , Neurônios/metabolismo , Adulto , Doença de Alzheimer/patologia , Proteína 1 de Troca de Ânion do Eritrócito/metabolismo , Anquirinas/análise , Antiporters/genética , Antiporters/metabolismo , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Encéfalo/patologia , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Citoesqueleto/metabolismo , Envelhecimento Eritrocítico , Expressão Gênica , Homeostase , Humanos , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , Imuno-Histoquímica , Degeneração Neural , Neurônios/química , Conformação Proteica , Estrutura Secundária de Proteína , Espectroscopia de Infravermelho com Transformada de Fourier , Células Tumorais CultivadasRESUMO
The anion transporter, band 3, is a ubiquitous protein. It is present in brain and all other tissues examined. Not only is band 3 present in cell membranes, but also in nuclear, Golgi and mitochondria membranes. There are four isoforms of band 3, the anion exchanger (AE) proteins, thus far discovered. They are products of different genes. Lymphocytes are reported to contain AE2, but not AE1. We hypothesized that induction or up-regulation of AE1 occurs when lymphocytes are transformed as an initial event in the path to malignancy. We transformed lymphocytes containing a single base mutation with Epstein Barr Virus (EBV). The mutation of band 3, high transport band 3 (HTbd3), exhibits anion transport that is 2-3 times normal in erythrocytes which contain AE1. This facilitated our identification of AE1 since the probability that 2 different gene products would have the same mutation approaches zero. Thus, we have a base mutation in addition to linear sequence to identify AE1. A 133 base pair (bp) fragment including the affected region was amplified from the mRNA of lymphocytes from the HTbd3 mutant. AE1 primers were used to amplify regions of interest. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to generate cDNA which was sequenced. The sequence of the crucial 133 base pair segment from high transport lymphocytes was 100% identical to the sequence published for the red blood cell band 3 of the same mutant. As reported previously for erythrocytes, this mutation is a C-->T base change which changes a proline to leucine in the protein sequence. Restriction enzyme digests of AE1 cDNA from normal and HTBD3 lymphocytes confirmed that the proposita was homozygous for the mutation, and showed the father to be heterozygous. Anion transport was increased in HTbd3 EBV transformed lymphocytes, as was the case with HTbd3 erythrocytes. AE2 was identified in lymphocytes by sequence. Thus, EBV transformed lymphocytes express the erythroid band 3 (AE1) in addition to AE2.
