Microwaves and the Cell Membrane: IV. Protein Shedding in the Human Erythrocyte: Quantitative Analysis by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

The erythrocyte responds to microwave fields by shedding at least 11 low-molecular-weight proteins of ≤31,000 Da, with components of 28,000-31,000 Da released during the destabilization of divalent calcium-protein bridges [R. P. Liburdy and P. F. Vanek, Radiat. Res. 109, 382-395 (1987)]. Significantly, protein shedding was shown to be restricted to exposure temperatures coinciding with the cell membrane phase/structural transition temperature, $T_{{\rm c}}$, of 17-25°C. We report here a further characterization of protein shedding at $T_{{\rm c}}$ using high-performance liquid chromatography and membrane-associated blood group antigen testing. Proteins shed from human erythocytes in microwave fields (2450 MHz, CW) compared to sham-heating displayed a twofold increase in total protein mass released concomitant with the appearance of unique protein species during reverse-phase, hydrophobic interaction, and anion-exchange HPLC. These HPLC analyses indicate that microwaves result in the shedding of proteins w...