MOLTEN GLOBULE STATE OF HUMAN SERUM-ALBUMIN IN UREA

Preferential interaction and hydration parameters of human serum album in (HSA) as a function of urea concentration in the entire solubility range are obtained by partial specific volume measurements, At lower c oncentrations (< 2 M) of urea, HSA exists in a molten globule state wi th an unusually hydrated structure and increased Stokes radius, Differ ential mechanism of interaction of urea at low and high concentrations with HSA exists, This is in tune and conformity with the first observ ation made by Prakash and Timasheff for other proteins.