title: Hemoglobin Brockton [beta 138 (H16) Ala----Pro]: an unstable variant near the C-terminus of the beta-subunits with normal oxygen-binding properties.
abstract: Hemoglobin Brockton [beta 138 (H16) Ala----Pro] is an unstable variant associated with a mild anemia. It has the same electrophoretic mobility as and cannot be resolved from Hb A. Oxygen affinity measurements of blood and hemolysate do not indicate biphasic oxygen saturation, showing that the functional properties of the variant are very similar to those of Hb A. This implies that the introduction of proline into the H-helix at position 138 does not disrupt the critical inter- and intrasubunit hydrogen bonds and salt bridges at the beta carboxyl-terminal dipeptide, since these polar interactions are essential for the normal oxygen-binding properties of hemoglobin. X-ray crystallographic data are consistent with these findings and show that the consequences of the beta 138 Ala----Pro substitution are almost entirely confined to the immediate vicinity of the mutation site. Instability probably results from the inability of a buried hydrogen bond to form between Pro 138 beta and Val 134 beta.
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30333.
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Moo-Penn
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Jue
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lux
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arnone
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D006455:Hemoglobins, Abnormal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009154:Mutation; D010100:Oxygen; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D006455:Hemoglobins, Abnormal; C058321:hemoglobin Brockton; D010100:Oxygen