Cytoskeleton

The  cytosolic  surface  of  the  erythrocyte   plasma  membrane  is  covered  through  a network of peripheral membrane proteins which make up the cytoskeleton in the figure. The main parts of this cytoskeleton are spectrin that folds into a triple-stranded -helical coiled coil to form long chains.  The  spectrin chains  are  relate  to  the  plasma  membrane  by  interactions  with  two other peripheral proteins, protein and ankyrin band 4.1. Ankyrin forms a cross- link among spectrin and the cytosolic domain of the integral anion exchanger band  3 protein,  although  band  4.1  promotes  the  binding  of  actin  filaments  to  the  spectrin   chains  linking  them  to  the  cytosolic   domain of glycophorin.  The  cytoskeleton  provides  the  erythrocyte  plasma  membrane  great strength and fiexibility  and is important in maintaining  and altering the shape of the cell. In the other mammalian cells the cytoskeleton has same functions but consists of numerous other proteins and criss-crosses by the cytoplasm.