Band 3 and ankyrin homologues are present in eye lens: evidence for all major erythrocyte membrane components in same non-erythroid cell.

Although immunological homologues of erythrocyte membrane proteins have been individually discovered in a wide variety of tissues and cultured cells, the major structural components of the membrane have not yet been demonstrated simultaneously in the same cell type. Thus, considerable uncertainty continues to exist concerning whether the red cell homologues form elements of a structure which is similar to or unique from the framework which supports the erythrocyte membrane. Because the red cell cytoskeletal proteins, spectrin, actin and band 4.1, have been previously found in the superficial cortex of the lens, we decided to determine whether the corresponding membrane anchoring components of band 3 and ankyrin also occur in this cell type. Using antiserum specific for band 3 and ankyrin, we report the existence of immunologically cross-reactive proteins of similar molecular weight. Because these anchoring proteins appear and disappear coordinately with the aforementioned cytoskeletal proteins during the intermediate stages of lens cell maturation, it is conceivable that an erythrocyte-like membrane structural organization may occur transiently in the eye lens.