Oxygen equilibrium of hemoglobin E.

Oxygen equilibrium was determined on hemoglobin of individuals both heterozygous and homozygous for hemoglobin E. The whole blood oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve of AE blood was identical to that of normal AA blood. E hemoglobin, isolated by diethylaminoethyl Sephadex and carboxymethyl cellulose column chromatography, had oxygen affinity, heme-heme interaction, and Bohr effect identical to those of hemoglobin A prepared from the same column. Furthermore, the two hemoglobins had equal reactivity with 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. Phosphate-free hemolysates of blood from E and A homozygotes also had identical oxygen saturation curves. These results do not confirm earlier reports that hemoglobin E has an abnormally low oxygen affinity.