Uphill transport induced by counterflow

Abstract

1. In a membrane transport system containing a mobile carrier with affinities for two substrates a concentration gradient with respect to one of the substrates under certain conditions is able to induce an "uphill" transport (against the concentration gradient) of the other. 2. In a kinetic treatment quantitative conditions for such a "flow-induced uphill transport" and some of its characteristics are derived. 3. Experimentally the uphill transport of labelled glucose induced by a concentration gradient for mannose or unlabelled glucose is demonstrated in the human red cell. 4. It is shown that the flow-induced uphill transport is a feature characteristic for mobile carrier systems only and is not to be expected in systems in which the substrate is bound to a fixed membrane component ("adsorption membrane"), although such a system may yield identical transport kinetics. Also with respect to Ussing's flux ratio the two systems are different, the adsorption membrane meeting Ussing's criterion, the carrier membrane not. 5. It is concluded that the transport system in the human red cells must contain a mobile carrier, identical for glucose and mannose.