SULFATE TRANSPORT IN HUMAN RED CELLS: INHIBITION BY SOME UNCOUPLERS OF OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION.

Release of inorganic sulfate from human erythrocytes is depressed in the presence of 2,4-dinitrophenol (5 x 10(-4)M) or dicumarol (5 x 10(-4)M). This effect cannot be readily attributed to uncoupling of phosphorylation from respiration, since the study was conducted with cells that metabolize principally by anaerobic means and since the effect was not influenced by iodoacetic acid. A more reasonable explanation may be that permeability of the erythrocyte membrane to anions may be reduced by these agents.