The action of sulphites on the cystine disulphide linkages of wool

Abstract
The reactivity with Na bisulphite for the cystine-S of wool treated by deamination, acetylation and methylation has been studied. Esterification of the free carboxyl groups of the combined glutamic and aspartic acids does not increase the magnitude of the bisulphite-reacting fraction (A + B) but causes the thiol and S-cysteine-sulphonate groups produced from subfraction A to become stable to water rinsing like those from subfraction B. Vigorous acetylation and deamination do not cause systematic changes in the magnitudes of subfractions A and B.