Splitting of the Hæmocyanin Molecule by Ultra-sonic Waves

Abstract

EMULSIONS and colloidal solutions may be produced by means of ultra-sonic waves^1,2. Compounds such as starch and gelatine are depolymerized^3,4. It seemed, therefore, of interest to study the action of sonic waves on high-molecular proteins such as the hæmocyanins, the molecules of which are of colloidal size. In the investigation I used hæmocyanin from Helix pomatia, which has a molecular weight of 6,740,000, a sedimentation constant of 99 × 10¹³ and which, upon change of the pH, gives three dissociation fragments with the sedimentation constants 62, 16 and 12 × 10¹³ respectively (corresponding to ½, $\frac{1}{8}$ and 116 molecules). These fragments may reversibly recombine to form the original molecule^5,6,7.