Mammalian cells are characterized by an endomembrane system. Nevertheless,
some cells lose these membranes during their terminal differentiation, e.g.
red blood cells and lens fiber cells of the eye. 15-Lipoxygenase is believ
ed to be critical for this membrane degradation. Here ne use cultivated rab
bit reticulocytes in the presence or absence of a lipoxygenase inhibitor to
provide further evidence for the importance of 15-lipoxygenase for the in
vivo degradation of mitochondria. We find that inhibitor treatment retarded
mitochondrial degradation, as shown by persistence of marker proteins and
by direct visualization of mitochondria by electron microscopy. (C) 2001 Fe
deration of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B
.V. All rights reserved.