THE EXPRESSION OF THE ABNORMAL HUMAN RED-CELL ANION TRANSPORTER FROM SOUTH-EAST ASIAN OVALOCYTES (BAND-3 SAO) IN XENOPUS-OOCYTES

South-East Asian ovalocytosis (SAO) is caused by the heterozygous pres ence of a variant form of the human erythrocyte anion transporter (ban d 3; AE1). The expression of band 3 SAO has been studied in Xenopus oo cytes. Band 3 SAO is not functional as an anion transporter but is ins erted stably into the plasma membrane of oocytes. Band 3 SAO transloca tion to the cell surface does not require co-expression of normal band 3. Co-expression of glycophorin A (GPA) increases the rate of translo cation of band 3 SAO to the oocyte membrane but is not essential for t his process. We suggest that the increased tendency of band 3 SAO to f orm oligomers may facilitate its translocation to the cell surface.