Enhancement of self-association of human spectrin by polyethylene glycol

Abstract

• 1.

  1. In the presence of polyethylene glycol, the self-association of human spectrin is enhanced in a manner that depends approx. exponentially on the mass concentration of polyethylene glycol.

• 2.

  2. For a given mass concentration, the enhancement is independent of the molecular weight of the polyethylene glycol.

• 3.

  3. These data are consistent with the operation of excluded volume effects, and support the contention that the association of spectrin is likely to be increased in the presence of the high concentration of hemoglobin within the erythrocyte in vivo.