THE EQUILIBRIA BETWEEN NATIVE AND DENATURED HEMOGLOBIN IN SALICYLATE SOLUTIONS AND THE THEORETICAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN NATIVE AND DENATURED PROTEIN.

The denaturation of hemoglobin by salicylate in neutral solution is completely reversible. There is a mobile equilibrium between native and denatured hemoglobin in neutral salicylate solution. The higher the salicylate concentration the greater is the percentage denaturation. When there is a mobile equilibrium between the native and denatured forms of a protein, denaturation is caused by the addition of any substance which has a greater affinity for the denatured than for the native form. Theoretically the heat of denaturation must vary with the denaturing agent and must depend on the heat of combination of the denaturing agent with the protein.