The role of ATP in swelling-stimulated K-Cl cotransport in human red cell ghosts: phosphorylation-dephosphorylation events are not in the signal transduction pathway

Ghosts developed from human red blood cells were studied to explore the link between K-Cl retransport activity and ATP. ATP enhances K-Cl cotransport activity in swollen ghosts. This enhancement most probably results from the phosphorylation of some membrane component, as it needs Mg. Neither phosphrylation nor dephosphorylation nor any other known messenger are concerned with signal transduction between the cell volume sensor and the cotransporter, although both these processes alter the activity of the cotransproter in shrunken and swollen ghosts.