Stages in the incorporation of fatty acids into red blood cells.

Mature human erythrocytes were incubated with (14)C-labeled palmitic acid bound to crystalline human albumin. Energy-dependent incorporation of the labeled palmitic acid into cell membrane phospholipids occurred, and various stages in this incorporation were defined. Initially the palmitic acid was rapidy transferred from the albumin to a "superficial" membrane pool of free fatty acid (F-1), which was removable when the cells were washed with defatted albumin. This process was independent of red cell metabolism. The labeled fatty acid then passed into a second "deeper" membrane pool of free fatty acids (F-2), which was not extractable with albumin. This process was energy-dependent and proceeded at a slower rate than the initial transfer from albumin to F-1. Ultimately the labeled fatty acid was incorporated into phosphatides (PL). This process also was dependent upon cellular metabolism. The kinetics of pulse label studies suggest that the processes observed were sequential and that precursor-product relationships exist between the F-1 and F-2 pools and the F-2 and PL pools. [Formula: see text] From the size and specific activities of these pools, calculations of the extent of phospholipid turnover were made. An approximate figure of 2% /hr or 30 nmoles/ml of packed red blood cells per hr was obtained. The figure was further calculated to represent an energy cost to the red blood cell of approximately 5% of the energy available from glycolysis.