Human erythrocyte ghosts prepared to contain various metabolites.

Ghosts have been prepared from human erythrocytes to contain organic compounds of metabolic interest in concentrations higher than those found in the original intact cells. To achieve this, the cells are hemolyzed in a hypotonic solution of a compound and isotonicity is subsequently restored by addition of NaCl. Such preparations are not homogeneous with respect to their content of the organic compound. They can utilize intracellular ribose- and glucose-phosphates but not free glucose. By this technique ghosts containing adenosine, guanosine, xanthosine, cytidine, AMP, ATP, G 1-P, G 6-P and R 5-P have been prepared. When these ghost preparations are incubated at 37°C, only the compounds containing phosphate in the molecule remain in the ghosts. The other compounds readily diffuse out of the ghosts into the external medium. Ghosts containing adenosine took up more P32-labeled orthophosphate ions than their corresponding controls. Guanosine, xanthosine, R 5-P and ATP, in that order, were also effective in increasing P32 uptake by ghosts. Cytidine was inactive in promoting P32 uptake. Note: with the technical assistance of NANCY J. LEE. Submitted on October 17, 1956