title: The human brain hexacoordinated neuroglobin three-dimensional structure.
abstract: Neuroglobin, mainly expressed in vertebrate brain and retina, is a recently identified member of the globin superfamily. Augmenting O2 supply, neuroglobin promotes survival of neurons upon hypoxic injury, potentially limiting brain damage. In the absence of exogenous ligands, neuroglobin displays a six-coordinated heme. O2 and CO bind to the heme-iron, displacing the endogenous HisE7 heme distal ligand. Hexacoordinated human neuroglobin displays a classical globin fold, adapted to host the reversible bis-histidyl heme complex, and an elongated protein matrix cavity, held to facilitate O2 diffusion to the heme. The structure of neuroglobin suggests that the classical globin fold is endowed with striking adaptability, indicating that hemoglobin and myoglobin are just two examples within a wide and functionally diversified protein homology superfamily.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, INFM and Centre for Excellence in Biomedical Research, University of Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, Genova I-16146, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dewilde
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nardini
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moens
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ascenzi
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hankeln
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burmester
authors.forename: Martino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bolognesi
mesh_terms: D005914:Globins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D000078787:Neuroglobin; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017510:Protein Folding
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000078787:Neuroglobin; D005914:Globins