Abstract.
The exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) at the cell surface plays a critical role in blood coagulation and serves as a macrophage recognition moiety for the engulfment of apoptotic cells. Previous observations have shown that a high extracellular [K+] and selective K+ channel blockers inhibit PS exposure in platelets and erythrocytes. Here we show that the rate of PS exposure in erythrocytes decreases by ~50% when the intracellular [K+] increases from 0 to physiological concentrations. Using resealed erythrocyte membranes, we further show that lipid scrambling is inducible by raising the intracellular [Ca2+] and that K+ ions have a direct inhibitory effect on this process. Lipid scrambling in resealed ghosts occurs in the absence of cell shrinkage and microvesicle formation, processes that are generally attributed to Ca2+-induced lipid scrambling in intact erythrocytes. Thus, opening of Ca2+-sensitive K+ channels causes loss of intracellular K+ that results in reduced intrinsic inhibitory effect of these ions on scramblase activity.
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Received 11 September 2008; received after revision 17 October 2008; accepted 27 October 2008
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Wolfs, J.L.N., Comfurius, P., Bekers, O. et al. Direct inhibition of phospholipid scrambling activity in erythrocytes by potassium ions. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 66, 314–323 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-008-8566-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-008-8566-4