Separation of the alpha- and beta-chains of globins by means of starch-gel electrophoresis

THE investigation of the molecular weight and the electrophoretic behaviour of globins at pH. 2–4 has led to a better understanding of the structure of the haemoglobin molecule. At a pH less than 6 there is a progressive decrease of the molecular weight of human haemoglobin1. At pH 11 the value of the sedimentation coefficient is 2.55, which points to a molecular weight of about 33,000 instead of 67,000, a value normally found2.