Hemoglobin Flashcards
Cells less than 1mm can diffuse oxygen across their membrane. Multicellular organisms are too big for diffusion. How have they adapted?
Oxygen carriers (Hb) and circulatory systems
Approximately how much hemoglobin is present in blood?
145 g/L = 10 mM Hb monomers
Why do we need oxygen?
Oxidative phosphorylation; oxygen is the final electron acceptor
Where is myoglobin found? What does it look like?
Muscle cells; a single chain of alpha helices with a heme group
What is the function of myoglobin?
Intracellular transport and storage of oxygen
What does hemoglobin look like? How many hemes are present? How much oxygen binds when the hemoglobin is saturated?
4 subunits (tetrameric); each of these subunits has a heme and each heme binds a molecule of oxygen 1 hemoglobin molecule= 4 heme= 4 oxygen
What does apo mean in terms of hemoglobin?
Has the two alphas and two betas, but no heme
What does hol mean in terms of hemoglobin?
Has the two alphas and two betas, as well as 4 hemes
Hemoglobin forms when one alpha-beta dimer (a protomer) binds to another dimer (protomer). Why is this significant for the conformation?
Allows hemoglobin to switch between two conformations (T and R), each of which have different affinity for oxygen
Where does oxygen actually bind in hemoglobin?
To heme- at the sixth position on iron
What molecules have a higher affinity for iron than oxygen?
CO, NO, H2S
What is the difference between Fe3+ and Fe2+ in terms of oxygen binding?
Only Fe2+(ferro) can bind oxygen
What is the difference between oxidation state and oxygenation state?
Oxidation state refers to the charge on Fe (if it’s Fe2+ or Fe3+)
Oxygenation state refers to whether or not oxygen is bound to iron
-oxygenation is closely related to oxidation state
What is metHb?
Ferric (Fe3+) Hb that doesn’t function as an oxygen carrier
What is the pressure in the atmosphere? Arterial blood? Venous blood?
Atmosphere: 150 atm
Arterial blood: 120 atm
Venous blood: 20 atm
How do the oxygen dissociation graphs for myoglobin and hemoglobin differ? Why are they different?
Myoglobin is hyperbolic (because non-cooperative), Hemoglobin is sigmoidal (because cooperative binding)
What is the definition of the P50?
The pressure at which the binding is half maximal or 1/2 of the oxygen has been released
What are the approximate P50s for hemoglobin and myoglobin?
Hemoglobin: 3 atm (26 torr)
Myoglobin: 2.6 atm
What are some molecules that favor the T state?
BPG, CO2, H+, Cl-
A type of allostery where what’s happening at one site promotes the same thing to happen at an identical site, is known as what?
Cooperativity
In what organs/tissues is the T state favored? The R state?
T state favored in muscles/tissues
R state favored in lungs
What is the P50 with BPG? What does this mean given the venous blood has a pressure of 20 atm?
26 atm- in venous blood most of the Hb will be unloaded
Negative effectors that favor the T state cause the oxygen dissociation curve to shift in which direction- left of right?
Right shift
How does BPG favor the T state?
BPG is acidic and charged and binds to lysine/histidine/ N-termini in beta subunits
Does the Bohr Effect play a role in both hemoglobin and myoglobin?
No- only in hemoglobin
According to the Bohr effect, when hemoglobin binds oxygen it releases hydrogen ions. How does this effect further binding?
The release of hydrogen is a product, this increasing product leads to more oxygen binding
What is the pH, H+ concentration, and oxygen binding in the lungs?
High pH, low H+, high oxygen binding
What is the pH, [H+], and oxygen binding in muscles?
Low pH, high H+, low oxygen binding