Glycine transport by human red blood cells and ghosts: evidence for glycine anion and proton cotransport by band 3.

Stilbene-sensitive glycine transport was investigated in human red blood cells and ghosts. We have found that this component of glycine transport was inhibited by the stilbene derivatives 4,4'-dinitrostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DNDS) and 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS); the apparent constant for inhibition by DNDS was 4 microM in the presence of 150 mM chloride. DNDS-sensitive glycine influx was modulated by pH such that as pH was increased from 5.9 to 9.2, transport increased from 2.5 to 140 mumol.kg Hb-1.h-1 at 37 degrees C and 100 microM glycine. The increased transport was correlated with an increase in the amount of glycine present as the anion over this pH range (0.03-40 microM glycine anion), but, in addition, pH had a direct effect on transport. Glycine influx was studied as a function of glycine anion concentration with anion varied by changing pH at a constant total glycine concentration and by changing total glycine at a constant pH. A comparison of these data demonstrated that the stilbene-sensitive glycine anion flux is stimulated by protons with half-maximal stimulation below pH 6.5 and suggests that the glycine anion and a proton are cotransported. Inorganic anions transported by band 3, including Cl, NO3, and SO4, inhibited glycine transport. Glycine flux into resealed ghosts was inhibited by Cl with an inhibition constant of 25 mM. The similarities between the kinetic constants for transport inhibition by Cl and DNDS and the kinetic constants for Cl and DNDS binding to band 3 suggest that the DNDS-sensitive glycine anion and proton cotransport is via band 3.