Ability of Normal and Sickle-Cell Hæmoglobins to form Complexes

Abstract

THE electrophoretic examination of hæmoglobin samples from Africans with sickle-cell trait, collected by one of us (Griffiths¹), showed that the mobilities were not constant and did not agree with values reported by other observers (for example, Pauling et al. ²). Among nine specimens we found values ranging from − 1.6 to − 3.0 × 10⁻⁵ cm./sec./V./cm. for the normal hæmoglobin component and from − 1.2 to − 2.4 × 10⁻⁵ cm./sec./V./cm. for the sickle-cell component. Seven normal hæmoglobin samples gave values between − 1.7 and − 3.8 × 10⁻⁵ cm./sec./V./cm. Not only did the mobility vary from individual to individual, but also samples taken from one subject varied from time to time. The values were all determined by electrophoresis in the Tiselius apparatus at a concentration of about 1.5 per cent of hæmoglobin, prepared by Drabkin's method³, in phosphate buffer at pH. 7.5 and ionic strength 0.1. Similar variations in mobility were shown by paper electrophoresis. The variations were not due to technical errors, because replicate determinations with a given specimen of blood gave concordant results. The absence of methæmoglobin or similar derivatives was shown by spectroscopic examination.