Erythrocyte Signal Transduction Pathways, their Oxygenation Dependence and Functional Significance

• Published in: Cellular physiology and biochemistry Vol. 15; no. 1-4; pp. 001 - 018
• Main Authors: Barvitenko, Nadezhda, Adragna, Norma, Weber, Roy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland 01.01.2005
• Subjects: Animals; Erythrocytes - cytology; Erythrocytes - metabolism; Humans; Oxygen - metabolism; Review; Signal Transduction
• ISSN: 1015-8987; 1421-9778
• DOI: 10.1159/000083634

Erythrocytes play a key role in human and vertebrate metabolism. Tissue O 2 supply is regulated by both hemoglobin (Hb)-O 2 affinity and erythrocyte rheology, a key determinant of tissue perfusion. Oxygenation-deoxygenation transitions of Hb may lead to re-organization of the cytoskeleton and signalling pathways activation/deactivation in an O 2 -dependent manner. Deoxygenated Hb binds to the cytoplasmic domain of the anion exchanger band 3, which is anchored to the cytoskeleton, and is considered a major mechanism underlying the oxygenation-dependence of several erythrocyte functions. This work discusses the multiple modes of Hb-cytoskeleton interactions. In addition, it reviews the effects of Mg 2+ , 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, NO, shear stress and Ca 2+ , all factors accompanying the oxygenation-deoxygenation cycle in circulating red cells. Due to the extensive literature on the subject, the data discussed here, pertain mainly to human erythrocytes whose O 2 affinity is modulated by 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, ectothermic vertebrate erythrocytes that use ATP, and to bird erythrocytes that use inositol pentaphosphate.