Protein denaturation
Definition
Unfolding and cross-linking of protein structure under heat, desiccation, or chemical stress. Affects haemoglobin, albumin, and other blood proteins as a stain ages, reducing sensitivity of downstream immunological and DNA assays.
Related terms
- Haemichrome
- A further oxidation product formed when the globin chains of methaemoglobin denature and the haem group becomes internally coordinated. Associated with the...
- Methaemoglobin
- An oxidised form of haemoglobin in which ferrous iron (Fe2+) is converted to ferric iron (Fe3+), unable to carry oxygen. Its formation...
- Oxyhaemoglobin
- The form of haemoglobin in freshly shed arterial blood, where iron in the haem group is in the ferrous (Fe²⁺) state and...
- Photodegradation
- Breakdown of biological molecules driven by ultraviolet and visible radiation. In bloodstains it accelerates haemoglobin oxidation and cleaves DNA strands, hastening ageing...
- Substrate effect
- The influence of the surface on which a bloodstain lies on the rate and character of chemical change. Porous substrates absorb blood...
Explained in
- Physical and Chemical Changes in Ageing BloodstainsUnfolding and cross-linking of protein structure under heat, desiccation, or chemical stress. Affects haemoglobin, albumin, and other blood proteins as a stain...