Titration of proteins in dimethyl sulphoxide–water mixtures

Abstract

The acid–base behaviour of arginine, lysozyme and ovalbumin has been studied by potentiometric and catalytic thermometric titrimetry in a mixture of dimethyl sulphoxide–water, with acrylonitrile as the end-point indicator in the latter technique. It was observed that, with the exception of the SH groups, all the protonated groups, including the guanidine groups of lysozyme and ovalbumin, were titrated by catalytic thermometric titrimetry. By using potentiometric titrimetry, all the titratable groups of ovalbumin were determined, whereas the guanidine groups of lysozyme were not determined by this technique.