1,11-Bis(maleimido)tetraethyleneglycol

Description:
1,11-Bis(maleimido)tetraethyleneglycol (BMEG) is a hemoglobin cross-linking agent that has been shown to inhibit the interaction of hemoglobins with sodium periodate. BMEG prevents the reaction solution from polymerizing and binds to the surface of erythrocytes. This binding inhibits the oxygen release by hemoglobin, which may be due to its ability to bind hemoglobin at a site near the heme group. The binding of BMEG prevents oxygen diffusion across the erythrocyte membrane, which may lead to an increase in systemic hypertension. When used in conjunction with other binder agents such as polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinylpyrrolidone, BMEG has been shown to enhance assays for protein and DNA.