Erythrocytic proteases: preferential degradation of alpha hemoglobin chains

Acta Haematologica
L VettoreK H Winterhalter

Abstract

Proteolytic activity against native hemoglobin polypeptide chains is demonstrated, under strictly physiological conditions, in human reticulocytes of both normal subjects and individuals suffering from a variety of pathologic conditions involving erythrocytes, including beta-thalassemia. Two thirds of the activity are found in the cytoplasm and the remainder of it is associated with the reticulocyte membrane. That this proteolytic activity is due to contamination by WBC is excluded. The activity preferentially degrades the alpha-hemoglobin chains. An increase in this substrate within the erythroid cells, as observed in beta-thalassemia, does not enhance proteolysis. Protease inhibitors produce a variable decrease in proteolysis. None inhibit completely, thus showing that several enzymes, with different specificities, are involved.

Citations

Jan 1, 1990·Vox Sanguinis·V de AngelisL Vettore
Nov 16, 2010·Hematology/oncology Clinics of North America·Eugene Khandros, Mitchell J Weiss
Aug 19, 2015·Redox Biology·S VoskouM Kleanthous
Aug 1, 1992·The American Journal of the Medical Sciences·M B ColemanM H Steinberg

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Anemia

Anemia develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells. Anemia of inflammation (AI, also called anemia of chronic disease) is a common, typically normocytic, normochromic anemia that is caused by an underlying inflammatory disease. Here is the latest research on anemia.