Cellular and Molecular Biology of Normal and Abnormal Erythroid Membranes

This work examines the cellular and molecular biology of erythroid membranes, as well as the clinical aspects of inherited hemolytic anemias, malaria and other diseases affecting erythroid cells. The book offers specific information on: ankyrin, giving new insights into the primary structure and association of this protein in both erythroid and non-erythroid cells; erythroid and non-erythroid band 4.1 isoforms, including their expression in both tissue-specific and developmentally regulated forms; regulatory aspects of skeletal organization, focusing on spectrin and band 4.1 phosphorylation; biogenesis of the membrane skeleton of both normal and abnormal red cells; the structure and expression of the erythropoietin receptor in erythroid precursor cells; the characterization of various skeletal protein mutations; how malaria-infected red cells adhere to endothelial cells; and parasite-induced alterations in the red cell membrane, including permeability changes and lipid alterations.