[The coagulation characteristics of human oxyhemoglobin in the presence of a mercury (II) ion in a neutral phosphate buffer].

The kinetics of human oxyhemoglobin coagulation in neutral phosphate buffer in the presence of mercury acetate at 20 degrees has been studied using turbidimetric methods. The addition of small amounts of concentrated Hg2+ solution leads to rapid local protein coagulation with subsequent dissolution of the formed coagulate. Coagulation can be inhibited by addition of Tris that binds to mercury ions. The pattern of oxyhemoglobin coagulation is determined by molar Hg2+/protein ration rather than by total Hg2+ concentration.