Abstract:
In order to determine the nature of the charged groups affecting sulphydryl reactivity, the reaction of hemoglobin with another sulphydryl reagent, was studied by potentiometric difference titration as a function of pH at 20oC and ionic strength 0.05 M. Differences were observed for various derivatives for the parameter H+ the number of protons released per sulphydryl group reacted. These differences reflect differences in tertiary structure between the derivatives studied rather than differences in quaternary structure. As a general conclusion, the reactivity of the cys F9 (93) β sulphydryl depends on two factors namely: the conformation of the sulphydryl group and the electrostatic effects of the charged ionizable groups on the protein.
