Hemoglobin switching in sheep and goats: occurrence of hemoglobins A and C in the same red cell.
Sheep and goats switch from the synthesis of hemoglobin A (alpha(2)beta(2)(A)) to hemoglobin C (alpha(2)beta(2)(C)) when made anemic. We have demonstrated the existence of the asymmetrical hybrid hemoglobin, alpha(2)beta(A)beta(C), in the circulating red cells of anemic sheep. These erythroid cells, therefore, synthesized both A and C hemoglobin simultaneously. Thus, the switch appears to be mediated by selective gene expression rather than by a clonal or cellular selective mechanism.
D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005796:Genes; D006041:Goats / Q000097:blood*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012756:Sheep / Q000097:blood*
D006454:Hemoglobins