ION SERIES AND THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF PROTEINS. I

Abstract

1. This paper contains experiments on the influence of acids and alkalies on the osmotic pressure of solutions of crystalline egg albumin and of gelatin, and on the viscosity of solutions of gelatin. 2. It was found in all cases that there is no difference in the effects of HCl, HBr, HNO3, acetic, mono-, di-, and trichloracetic, succinic, tartaric, citric, and phosphoric acids upon these physical properties when the solutions of the protein with these different acids have the same pH and the same concentration of originally isoelectric protein. 3. It was possible to show that in all the protein-acid salts named the anion in combination with the protein is monovalent. 4. The strong dibasic acid H2SO4 forms protein-acid salts with a divalent anion SO4 and the solutions of protein sulfate have an osmotic pressure and a viscosity of only half or less than that of a protein chloride solution of the same pH and the same concentration of originally isoelectric protein. Oxalic acid behaves essentially like a weak dibasic acid though it seems that a small part of the acid combines with the protein in the form of divalent anions. 5. It was found that the osmotic pressure and viscosity of solutions of Li, Na, K, and NH4 salts of a protein are the same at the same pH and the same concentration of originally isoelectric protein. 6. Ca(OH)2 and Ba(OH)2 form salts with proteins in which the cation is divalent and the osmotic pressure and viscosity of solutions of these two metal proteinates are only one-half or less than half of that of Na proteinate of the same pH and the same concentration of originally isoelectric gelatin. 7. These results exclude the possibility of expressing the effect of different acids and alkalies on the osmotic pressure of solutions of gelatin and egg albumin and on the viscosity of solutions of gelatin in the form of ion series. The different results of former workers were probably chiefly due to the fact that the effects of acids and alkalies on these proteins were compared for the same quantity of acid and alkali instead of for the same pH.