The action of sulphites on the cystine disulphide linkages of wool

Abstract

The thiol groups produced when wool is treated with NaHSO3 can be methylated by methyl iodide or methyl bromide; the /S-cysteine-sulphonate groups are unaffected. A similar reaction occurs when wool is treated simultaneously with NaHSO3 and a dimethyl sulphate. A technique for the isolation of S-methylcysteine from hydrolysates of S-methylated wools by partition chroma-tography of the Ar-acetylated amino-acids is descr.