Studies on the structure of haptoglobin and the haptoglobin-haemoglobin complex by spin and fluorescence labelling.

Human haptoglobin (Hp) of the 1-1 type incorporated one spin or fluorescence marker per molecule; the markers were found in the beta chain. Formation of the complex between spin-labelled Hp and haemoglobin or antibody caused conformational changes in the Hp molecular, evidenced by increased participation in the electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of the component bound with the slowly rotating marker. From fluorescence-labelled Hp, the beta chain was isolated and cleaved by CNBr; only in one of the obtained peptides, one out of 4 histidine residues was modified with the marker.