Comparison of the Effects of N-Ethylmaleimide and lodoacetamide on Red Blood Cell Membranes 1

Summary Although both NEM and IA completely inhibited G3PD activity and decreased RBC ATP levels 40%, IA produced little effect on RBC filterability whereas NEM greatly reduced the filtration rate. IA caused only an isolated increase of band 6 (G3PD) and no change in membrane protein content. However, the decreased filter-ability of NEM-treated RBC was associated with significantly increased membrane-associated nonhemoglobin protein which appeared as a complex array of polypeptide bands on PAGE SDS.