Structural highlights
FunctionGLBN_CERLA Acts as an oxygen store capable of sustaining neuronal activity in an anoxic environment for 5 to 30 min. Evolutionary Conservation Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf. Publication Abstract from PubMedA very short hemoglobin (CerHb; 109 amino acids) binds O(2) cooperatively in the nerve tissue of the nemertean worm Cerebratulus lacteus to sustain neural activity during anoxia. Sequence analysis suggests that CerHb tertiary structure may be unique among the known globin fold evolutionary variants. The X-ray structure of oxygenated CerHb (R factor 15.3%, at 1.5 A resolution) displays deletion of the globin N-terminal A helix, an extended GH region, a very short H helix, and heme solvent shielding based on specific aromatic residues. The heme-bound O(2) is stabilized by hydrogen bonds to the distal TyrB10-GlnE7 pair. Ligand access to heme may take place through a wide protein matrix tunnel connecting the distal site to a surface cleft located between the E and H helices. The 109 residue nerve tissue minihemoglobin from Cerebratulus lacteus highlights striking structural plasticity of the alpha-helical globin fold.,Pesce A, Nardini M, Dewilde S, Geuens E, Yamauchi K, Ascenzi P, Riggs AF, Moens L, Bolognesi M Structure. 2002 May;10(5):725-35. PMID:12015154[1] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. See AlsoReferences | ||||||||||||||||||||
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