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Site-specific semisynthetic variant of human hemoglobin

Journal Article · · Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States)

A single round of Edman degradation was employed to remove the NH/sub 2/-terminal valine from isolated ..cap alpha.. chains of human hemoglobin. Reconstitution of normal ..beta.. chains with truncated or substituted ..cap alpha.. chains was used to form truncated (des-Val/sup 1/-..cap alpha..1) and substituted (((1-/sup 13/C)Gly/sup 1/)..cap alpha..1) tetrameric hemoglobin analogs. Structural homology of the analogs with untreated native hemoglobin was established by using several spectroscopic and physical methods. Functional studies indicate that the reconstituted tetrameric protein containing des-Val/sup 1/-..cap alpha.. chains has a higher affinity for oxygen, is less influenced by chloride ions or 2,3-biphosphoglycerate, and shows lower cooperativity than native hemoglobin. These results confirm the key functional role of the ..cap alpha..-chain NH/sub 2/ terminus in mediating cooperative oxygen binding across the dimer interface. The NH/sub 2/-terminal pK/sub 1/2/ value was determined for the (/sup 13/C)glycine-substituted analog to be 7.46 +/- 0.09 at 15/sup 0/C in the carbon monoxide-liganded form. This value, measured directly by /sup 13/C NMR, agrees with the determination made by the less-direct /sup 13/CO/sub 2/ method and confirms the role of this residue as a contributor to the alkaline Bohr effect; however, it is consistent with the presence of an NH/sub 2/-terminal salt bridge to the carboxylate of Arg-141 of the ..cap alpha.. chain in the liganded form.

Research Organization:
Indiana Univ., Bloomington (USA)
OSTI ID:
6619071
Journal Information:
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States), Journal Name: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States) Vol. 85:3; ISSN PNASA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English