Asymmetric metabolism of phosphatidylethanolamine in the human red cell membrane.

The incorporation of labeled fatty acids into phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) on the two sides of the human red cell membrane was studied by use of the vectorial probe trinitrobenzene sulfonate (TNBS). A small population of PE molecules on the outer surface of the membrane has a 4-fold higher turnover rate than the remaining PE molecules. This effect is greatest with palmitic acid, less with linoleic and linolenic acids, and not seen with stearic acid. By use of the hydrophobic penetrating probe fluorodinitrobenzene (FDNB), we find a second larger population of PE and phosphatidylserine (PS) molecules which reacts with FDNB and has a higher specific activity than the PE and PS molecules which do not react. With human polymorphonuclear cells, the labeled PE molecules inside the cell have a higher specific activity than the PE molecules located on the outer cell surface. These results suggest that there are heterogeneous populations of PE and PS on both halves of the red cell membrane which show different metabolic turnover rates of their fatty acids.