Organization of membrane constituents in human erythrocytes of different age.

The effect on the structural integrity of membrane glycoproteins of different methods for the isolation of human red cell subpopulations has been investigated. Moreover the extent of sialylation of membrane glycoconjugates in red cells of different age has been studied by a quantification of WGA binding sites at the single-cell level by cytofluorometric techniques, using the FITC-labeled lectin; the surface distribution of these sites has also been described by recording fluorescence intensity maps of cell surfaces.