Membrane skeleton alteration--a factor promoting IgG receptor expression in the erythrocyte membrane.

IgG receptor expression after selective cross-linking of spectrin by means of diamide was investigated. A diamide concentration dependent IgG loading of erythrocytes was observed. Furthermore, diamide causes disturbance of lipid asymmetry, decrease of the anisotropy after topooptical staining of the glycocalyx, increase of the phagocytosis index and aggregation of the IMP's. Our findings support the hypothesis that the arrangement of the membrane skeleton at the inner aspect of the membrane is decisive not only for the lipid asymmetry but also for the spatial structure of the glycocalyx at the outer aspect of the membrane and thus for the degree of exposure and arrangement of IgG-receptors, which are thought to be localized at an extracellular portion of band 3 protein.