Chemical cross-linking of hemoglobin H. A possible approach to introduce cooperativity and modification of its oxygen transport properties

Chemical modification of hemoglobin in intact whole cells: morphological studies by scanning electron microscope

1. Whole blood was incubated in physiological conditions with a variety of modifiers capable of modifying hemoglobin. Some of these compounds have been considered as therapeutic agents for certain hemoglobinopathies such as sickle-cell disease. 2. The extent of modification on hemoglobin was estimated by electrophoresis and the red-cell morphology by scanning electron microscope. 3. Results indicated that carbamyl phosphate, aspirin and glutaryl-salicylamide had no observable effect, whereas cross-linkers in general produced drastic changes in red-cell morphology. 4. Dibromoaspirin, a very effective acetylating agent, produced abnormalities even in concentrations as low as 1 mM.

Studies on haemoglobin immobilized by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. Cross-linked soluble polymers and artificial membranes

Human haemoglobin was immobilized by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde as soluble polymers and artificial membranes. Effects of pH and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate on oxygen binding and cross-linking were studied with haemoglobin immobilized in both the oxy and deoxy states. The cooperativity is suppressed and the affinity is increased when compared with native haemoglobin. Haemoglobin immobilized in the oxy state exhibited a higher oxygen affinity than that immobilized in the deoxy state. The alkaline Bohr effect is not significantly different from that of native haemoglobin. The 2,3-diphosphoglycerate influence on oxygen binding was reduced by one third with immobilization. In order to separate the chemical and the "conformation freezing' effects on the properties of immobilized haemoglobin, glutaraldehyde-modified haemoglobin in oxy and deoxy states was produced. Oxygen binding was studied and chemical modifications were checked by electrophoresis and gel filtration. This chemically modified haemoglobin without polymerization and without intra-chain bridging exhibits a behaviour similar to that of cross-linked soluble polymers or membranes of haemoglobin.