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THE FUNCTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SULFHYDRYL GROUPS IN THE CELL MEMBRANE

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4122938
;

Evaluation of the functional significance of sulfhydryl groups in the cell membrane depends in part on certain unpredictable properties of protein sulfhydryl groups. These include problems of specificity related to sulfhydryl reacting reagents used to determine sulfhydryl content, relative reactivity of the sulfhydryl groups themselves, and existence of functionally unresponsive sulfhydryl groups along with those essential for the physiological activity under study. In studies of membranes, problems of distribution and permeation of the sulfhydryl reagents provide additional complications. For example, studies of the human red cell membrane or ghost have permitted classification of the membrane sulfhydryl groups on the basis of their activity with various reagents. Approximately 7% of the membrane groups are readily reactive and react with Nethylmaleimide, chlormerodrin, and HgCl/sub 2/, but this reactton does not inhibit membrane ATPase, or Na/sup +/ or K/sup +/ permeability. Additional partially reactive sulfhydryl groups (up to 25% of the total) will react with chlormerodrin and HgCl/sub 2/, and this reaction results in inhibition of ATPase activity, inhibition of glucose uptake and some loss of K/sup +/. Finally, the masked groups constituting the remaining 75% of the membrane sulfhydryl groups, react only with HgCl/sub 2/ to produce Na/sup +/ permeability, taming of the membrane, and denaturation of protein. (auth)

Research Organization:
Rochester, N.Y. Univ. Atomic Energy Project
NSA Number:
NSA-18-004925
OSTI ID:
4122938
Report Number(s):
UR-633
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

ANIMAL CELLS
ATP-ASE
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICALS
CHLORMERODRIN
DIFFUSION
DISTRIBUTION
ENZYMES
ERYTHROCYTES
ETHYL RADICALS
GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
GLUCOSE
IMIDES
INHIBITION
IODINE
IONS
MALEIC ACID
MAN
MEMBRANES
MERCURY CHLORIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PHYSIOLOGY
POTASSIUM
PROTEINS
SUGARS
SULFHYDRYL RADICALS