haemoglobin structure and function Flashcards
what are the three main haemoglobin types and what are their subunits
-HBA is made of two alpha and 2 beta global subunits
-HBF is made of two alpha and two gamma
- HBA2 is made of two alpha and 2 delta (<3.5% in adult blood)
what is the globin structure
- primary structure (9 conserved amino acids for oxygen binding)
- secondary (75% alpha helix)
- tertiary (non polar resides face inwards)
- quaternary ( 1 dimer (alpha 1 and beta 1) on top of second dimer)
how man amino acids is in the alpha globin subunit
- 141 amino acids
how many amino acids is in the beta, delta and gamma globin structure
- 146 aa
what is the Haem structure
- protoporphyrin ring with iron atom at centre
- iron binds to 6 coordinating valencies with 4 linked to nitrogen which is found in the ring and 2 linked to histidine residues in globin
- bond between distal histidine and oxygen is unstable (hydrogen bonding) and easily replaced by oxygen
haemolytic synthesis overview and steps
- 1 rate controlling step- involves ALA synthase
- 3 enzyme controlled steps
- first step condensation of glycine and succinate which forms d-ALA
- intermediate step forms three intermediates
- final step- insertion of iron into proton-porphyrin
what is the genetic control of globin snythesis
- two chromosomes which have genes coding for specific haemoglobin subunits
- chromsome 16 and 11
- chromsome 16 has alpha 1, alpha 2 and zeta
- chromsome 11 has beta, gamma, delta, epsilson, pseudogenes (non functional)
how many exons and introns does the globin genes have, and what do the introns begin and end with
- 3 exons and 2 introns
- introns begin with G-T and end with A-G
what is the binding of oxygen to haemoglobin like
- positive co-orperativity
- binding of first oxygen makes it easier for subsequent oxygen to bind
what reduces affinity for oxygen
- low ph
- high temperatures
- carbon dioxide (Bohr effect)
- 2,3-DPG
what happens to hb structure when oxygen is bound
- when deoxygenated it is open and taut (T)
- bound it is compact and relaxed (R)
- rotation of dimer Paris over each other 15 degrees
- movement of histidine residue
how does DPG reduce oxygen affinity
- hb exist in two forms T and R
- during the T phase hb is open and taut and has a lower affinity for oxygen, when oxygen bind to hb it moves from the t state to the r state however the binding of dog during the t state stabilises the t state and prevents the transition to the r state and therefore oxygen affinity is reduced and makes hb more prone to release oxygen
what is the effect of DPQ on oxygen dissociation curve
causes it to shift to the right
more DPG formed with anaemia and hypoxia
what is the p50
the partial pressure of oxygen when haemoglobin is 50% saturated
increases in dog causes increase in p50
what are the two main categories of haemoglobin disorders
- structural globin defects e.g sickle cell
- decreased globin synthesis e.g. thalassaemias
what is the distribution of thalassemia
- mediteranian e.g. greeks, Cypriots etc
- middle east
- south asia
- south east asia
- common in places were malaria was historically present
distribution of sickle cells
- African and Caribbean
- specifically west Africa