Effects Produced by Trypsin on Certain Properties of the Human Red Cell

Human red cells treated with trypsin in such a way as to become agglutinable in the presence of incomplete antibodies are affected in certain other respects. Their volume is slightly increased, their ghosts are unusually rigid or "volume-occupying," their osmotic and mechanical fragilities are slightly increased and their electrophoretic mobility is reduced. These changes are probably due to effects on the protein components of the red cell surface ultrastructure. Similar effects are also produced by the related enzyme mexacain.