The Effect of Formaldehyde on the Oxygen Equilibrium of Hemoglobin

1. When formaldehyde (0.10 M) is added to solutions of human hemoglobin, the oxygen affinity of the hemoglobin increases considerably (more than tenfold near pH 7). The interaction between hemes of the same hemoglobin molecule decreases, as shown by a drop in the value of n in Hill's equation from 2.9 to 1.5 or less. 2. In the presence of formaldehyde, both n and the oxygen pressure for half-saturation fall gradually as the pH rises in the range from pH 6.2 to 7.2. 3. Some of the effect of formaldehyde on the oxygen equilibrium may be due to combination with sulfhydryl groups of the protein, but nitrogenous groups are probably also involved.