CHARGE-DISTRIBUTION IN THE SURFACE REGION OF CHICKEN AND GOOSE ERYTHROCYTES

The charge distribution in the surface region (peripheral zone) was estimated for chicken and goose erythrocytes from their electrophoretic mobility data at different pH values and ionic strengths of the medium, using a formula which directly relates electrophoretic mobility with charge density. It was shown that chicken erythrocytes have a charge density that is less negative than that of goose erythrocytes in alkaline media while no significant difference in charge density was found between chicken and goose erythrocytes at very low pH. Furthermore, the distribution of the acidic and basic groups in the peripheral zone of the cells of both species was suggested to be rather uniform on the basis of the agreement between the calculated and observed mobilities. In addition, the average dissociation constants of the acidic and basic groups in the surface region were estimated from the charge density as a function of pH for both species of erythrocyte. As a result, it was suggested that chicken erythrocytes are less acidic than goose erythrocytes.