A High-Angle X-ray Diffraction Study of Red Cell Membranes after Treatment with Phospholipases A2 and C

Comparison of the high-angle X-ray diffraction patterns of hydrated red blood cell membranes after methanol, phospholipase A2, and phospholipase C treatment results in a more detailed understanding of the diffraction pattern obtained from untreated membranes. This study also presents more information as to the fate of the lipid and protein region of the membrane after the different phospholipase treatments. It reinforces the concept that phospholipase A2 treatment produces a structural change in the protein regions of the red cell membrane and that a structural change occurs in the lipid regions after phospholipase C treatment which may allow some of the cholesterol in the membrane to form crystallites.