Denaturation of hemoglobin under high pressure, I

Abstract

The behaviors of hemoglobin under high pressure of 0～9000 kg/cm^2 were examined mainly on oxyhemoglobin at temperature of 20～40℃. Experiments were also performed an four kinds of hemoglobin: oxyhemoglobin, carbonylhemoglobin, reduced hemoglobin and methemaglobin to study the influences owing to the difference of the prosthetic group. From the experimental results, it is supposed that the denaturation mechanism of hemoglobin is the same in itself as that of ovalbumin, and that the secondary structure responsible to denaturation under pressure may be affected in a certain extent by the state of heme and largely by the valency of iron ion in the center of protoheme.