Haemoglobin's chaperone

Abnormal haemoglobins: detection & characterization

Haemoglobin (Hb) abnormalities though quite frequent, are generally detected in populations during surveys and programmes run for prevention of Hb disorders. Several methods are now available for detection of Hb abnormalities. In this review, the following are discussed: (i) the methods used for characterization of haemoglobin disorders; (ii) the problems linked to diagnosis of thalassaemic tra...

Fetal and embryonic haemoglobins.

Haemoglobin has been the subject of intensive research for many years and is one of the most thoroughly understood of all protein molecules. The amino-acid sequences of haemoglobins from many species of animals have been determined (tabulated by Dayhoff, 1969) and the molecular structures of horse and human haemoglobins have been determined in great detail by x-ray crystallography (Perutz et al...

Haem degradation in abnormal haemoglobins.

The coupled oxidation of certain abnormal haemoglobins leads to different bile-pigment isomer distributions from that of normal haemoglobin. The isomer pattern may be correlated with the structure of the abnormal haemoglobin in the neighbourhood of the haem pocket. This is support for haem degradation by an intramolecular reaction.

Sulphide-binding processes of Riftia pachyptila haemoglobins

found around East-Pacific Rise hydrothermal vents is the giant tube-worm Riftia pachyptila Jones, 1981. This “autotrophic” animal is devoid of a digestive system and acquires metabolic energy from the oxidation of sulphide by chemolithoautotrophic bacteria that live symbiotically inside a specific, highly vascularized organ, the trophosome. Therefore, blood transport nutrients is a crucial issu...

Separation of haemoglobins on cellulose acetate.