Figure 6
Model of kinetics of membrane skeleton network formation in primary primitive erythroblasts. Primary primitive erythroblasts progressively and synchronously mature between E9.5 and E12.5 in the bloodstream of the mouse embryo prior to enucleating. The expression of the major cytoskeletal genes found in definitive red blood cells has already initiated in primary primitive proerythroblasts (ProE) at E9.5. The cytoskeletal proteins β1-spectrin, band 3, and protein 4.2 transition to the plasma membrane at late stages of erythroblast maturation concomitant with the alternative splicing of Epb41 exon 16. This transition is associated with significant increases both in the association of the cytoskeleton to the lipid bilayer and in cell deformability. BasoE- basophilic erythroblast, PolyE- polychromatophilic erythroblast, OrthoE- orthochromatic erythroblast, Retic- reticulocyte.
