Redistribution of band 3 on normal and ankyrin-deficient (nb/nb) red cells. (A) Fluorescence micrograph of normal erythrocyte with EMA-labeled band 3 aspirated by a micropipette. (B) Corresponding intensity profile of band 3 exhibited a steep gradient in concentration along the deformation projection, indicating that the density of EMA-labeled band 3 increased markedly at the pipette entrance and subsequently decreased toward the aspiration cap. ρ_e and ρ_c are defined as the densities at the pipette entrance and at the cap of the projection, respectively. (C) Fluorescence micrograph of ankyrin-deficient erythrocyte with EMA-labeled band 3 aspirated by a micropipette. (D) Without ankyrin, band 3 collected at the cap as seen by the reverse gradient and higher fluorescence intensity at the cap. For scale reference for panels A and C, the diameter of the micropipette is 0.8 μm.