Red Blood Cell Proteasome in Beta-Thalassemia Trait: Topology of Activity and Networking in Blood Bank Conditions

Proteasomes are multi-catalytic complexes with important roles in protein control. Their activity in stored red blood cells (RBCs) is affected by both storage time and the donor’s characteristics. However, apart from their abundancy in the membrane proteome, not much is known about their topology, activity, and networking during the storage of RBCs from beta-thalassemia trait donors (βThal(+)). For this purpose, RBC units from fourteen βThal(+) donors were fractionated and studied for proteasome activity distribution and interactome through fluorometric and correlation analyses against units of sex- and aged-matched controls. In all the samples examined, we observed a time-dependent translocation and/or activation of the proteasome in the membrane and a tight connection of activity with the oxidative burden of cells. Proteasomes were more active in the βThal(+) membranes and supernatants, while the early storage networking of 20S core particles and activities showed a higher degree of connectivity with chaperones, calpains, and peroxiredoxins, which were nonetheless present in all interactomes. Moreover, the βThal(+) interactomes were specially enriched in kinases, metabolic enzymes, and proteins differentially expressed in βThal(+) membrane, including arginase-1, piezo-1, and phospholipid scramblase. Overall, it seems that βThal(+) erythrocytes maintain a considerable “proteo-vigilance” during storage, which is closely connected to their distinct antioxidant dynamics and membrane protein profile.