Hemoglobin 3 - molecular pathology of Hb 09/12 Traish Flashcards
where did sickle-cell hemoglobin get its name?
it causes RBCs to adopt elongated sickle shape at low O2 concentrations due to mutated hemoglobin aggregates
when do sickled RBCs cause pain?
block capillaries and lead to ischemia, infarction, and inflammation
why does sickle cell lead to anemia?
sickled cells are fragile and broken down more often, leading to low RBC count
why has the sickle-cell mutation become prevalent in certain populations?
heterozygous individuals have less severe symptoms and higher survival rate than homozygotes, and are resistant to malaria (fragility of sickled cells disrupts parasite lifecycle)
how do exercise and high altitudes affect sickle-cell patients?
exercise and high altitudes (hypoxic conditions) are more likely to cause cell sickling and symptoms
how does sickle-cell trait disrupt the malarial parasite lifecycle?
fragility and breakdown of RBCs alters ionic environment (lower K+ concentration, higher Ca++ concentration) in which malarial parasite normally incubates and matures within RBC
on electrophoresis, how can you tell the difference between…
- normal Hb
- sickle-cell trait
- sickle-cell anemia
- normal = one mark closer to (+) anode
- heterozygous = two marks
- homozygous = one mark closer to (-) cathode
in order to study sickled-cells, why is it important not to expose a blood sample to atmospheric air?
high pO2 can restore sickled cells to normal
how can sickle-cell lead to stroke?
sickled cells aggregate and clot
how can sickle-cell lead to susceptibility to infection?
SCD can lead to splenic disfunction (spleen is like a large lymph node that filters blood, degrades old RBCs, stores blood reserve, recycles iron, produces antibodies, and removes antibody-coated bacteria and pathogens from blood)
how can sickle-cell lead to priapism?
priapism = non-sexual sustained penile erection.
sickle cells can cause by blocking venous outflow from penis
what do you have to know about HbA2?
not much.
- a2d2 (2 alpha subunits, 2 delta subunits)
- expressed at low levels
- purpose unknown
- not really studied
why is it important for normal RBCs to have dispersed and non-aggregated Hb?
- the flexible biconcave disk shape of normal RBCs allow them to bend an squeeze through capillaries that are smaller than RBC diameter
- sickled cells do not have this flexibility and are more likely to get stuck
how do HbS form aggregates?
the sickle mutation is Glu6(A6) –> Val
in deoxy HbS, this Valine sticks out and can fit into a hydrophobic pocket in the EF corner of the beta subunit of another Hb molecule
T/F the sickle mutation is found in the heme pocket region of Hb
false - the beta Glu6(A6) -> Val mutation occurs in a part of the beta subunit far from the critical regions of the heme pocket and alpha/beta contact
T/F the sickle mutation is found in the alpha/beta contact region of Hb
false - the beta Glu6(A6) -> Val mutation occurs in a part of the beta subunit far from the critical regions of the heme pocket and alpha/beta contact
what is the HbS mutation?
beta Glu6(A6) -> Val this Valine sticks out and can fit into a hydrophobic pocket in the EF corner of the beta subunit of another molecule and form aggregates
beta Glu6(A6) -> Ala mutation in helix A of Hb results in…
insignificant sickling
Glu6(A6) is the same residue involved in the HbS mutation, but Ala here probably does not fit into the hydrophobic EF pocket of the beta chain as well as Val does in Hbs
beta Glu121(GH4) -> Lys mutation in Hb results in…
enhanced sickling (but not as serious as HbS) - to + switch causes charge-charge interactions with beta Glu6(A6)
alpha His87(F8) -> Tyr mutation in Hb results in…
Fe oxidation, decreased O2 affinity alpha His87(F8) usually ligates Fe in heme. when mutant Tyr ligates Fe, Fe becomes susceptible to oxidation to the ferric state and no longer binds O2
alpha Arg141(HC3) -> His mutation in Hb results in…
R state favored, increased O2 affinity
alpha Arg 141 is a C-terminus! changing to His disrupts the alpha Arg141 interaction with Asp126 of the other alpha chain in deoxyHb
beta Gly74(E18) -> Asp mutation in Hb results in…
decreased BPG binding, increased O2 affinity
introducing negative charge in this region reduces BPG binding affinity, resulting in increased O2 affinty
beta His146(HC3) -> Asp mutation in Hb results in..
R state favored, increased O2 affinity beta His146(HC3) stabilizes deoxy Hb by binding beta Asp94 and alpha Lys40. with beta Asp94 it contributes to the Bohr effect, utilizing Asp 94 to stabilize an H+ with an abnormally high pKa. if replaced by Asp, the H+ binding and deoxyHb stabilizing through the R group is lost (but I suppose the C-terminus COO- may still interact with Lys40)
beta Gly74(E18) -> Asp mutation in Hb results in…
increased affinity for O2
beta Phe42(CD1) -> Ser mutation in Hb results in…
decreased O2 affinity (Fe oxidation, heme loss)
hydrophilic Ser opens heme pocket for water and results in heme loss
beta Glu6(A6) -> Val mutation in Hb results in…
sickling, HbS
hydrophobic Val fits into hydrophobic pocket in EF corner of a beta chain of another Hb molecule, causing polymerization and aggregation
alpha Pro95(G2) -> Arg mutation in Hb results in…
dissociation into subunits, high Mb-like O2 affinity
loss of Pro results in change of geometry and alters subunit interactions due to continuation of the helix, resulting in dissociation of tetramer, loss of cooperativity, and increased hyperbolic Mb-like O2 affinity
alpha leu136(H19) -> Pro mutation in Hb results in…
dissociation of tetramer, high Mb-like O2 affinity
Pro interrupts helix, results in dissociation of tetramer, loss of cooperativity, and increased hyperbolic Mb-like O2 affinity
the earliest Hb in a fetus is of the form…
z2e2
zeta 2 epsilon 2
(only very early fetus, soon supplanted by a2g2)
alpha leu136(H19) -> Pro mutation in Hb results in…
dissociation of tetramer, high O2 affinity
begin again p. 39
begin again p. 39
HbF subunits are…
a2g2
alpha 2 gamma 2
when is the transfer from HbF to HbA essentially complete?
~6 months of age
transcription of g-Hb ceases ~birth but transcribed HbF remains in circulation for several months
how long do RBCs remain in circulation before being turned over?
~120 days
when is the transfer from HbF to HbA essentially complete?
~6 months of age
transcription of g-Hb ceases ~birth but transcribed HbF remains in circulation for several months
HbA subunits are…
a2b2
alpha 2 beta 2