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Molecular Insights of an Avian Species with Low Oxygen Affinity, the Crystal Structure of Duck T-State Methemoglobin

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Hemoglobin (Hb) is the key metalloprotein within red blood cells involved in oxygen transportation from lungs to body cells. The heme-iron atom inherent within Hb effectuates the mechanism of oxygen transportation and carbon dioxide removal. Structural investigations on avian Hb are limited when compared with the enormous work has been carried out on mammalian Hb. Here, the crystal structure of T-state methemoglobin (T-metHb) from domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchos), a low oxygen affinity avian species, determined to 2.1Å resolution is presented. Duck T-metHb crystallized in the orthorhombic space group C2221 with unit cell parameters a = 59.89, b = 109.42 and c = 92.07Å. The final refined model with R-factor: 19.5% and Rfree: 25.2% was obtained. The structural analysis reveals that duck T-metHb adopts a unique quaternary structure that is distinct from any of the avian liganded Hb structures. Moreover, it closely resembles the deoxy Hb of bar-headed goose, a high oxygen-affinity species. Besides the amino acid αPro119 located in the α1β1 interface, a unique quaternary structure with a constrained heme environment is attributed for the intrinsic low oxygen-affinity of duck Hb. This study reports the first protein crystal structure of low oxygen-affinity avian T-metHb from Anas platyrhynchos.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr M. D. Naresh and Mr S. M. Jaimohan of CLRI, Chennai for their support during data collection. K.N would like to thank UGC, New Delhi, P.S.M and M.B thanks CSIR, Government of India, for the award of Senior Research Fellowship.

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Author notes

  1. Sathya Moorthy Ponnuraj, Neelagandan Kamariah, Balasubramanian Moovarkumudalvan have contributed equally to this manuscript. They are equally contributing first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Advanced Study in Crystallography and Biophysics, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai, 600025, India

    Sathya Moorthy Ponnuraj, Neelagandan Kamariah, Balasubramanian Moovarkumudalvan & M. N. Ponnuswamy

  2. Agro Climate Research Centre, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, India

    Sathya Moorthy Ponnuraj

  3. Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, Bengaluru, 560065, India

    Neelagandan Kamariah

  4. Mahatma Gandhi Medical Advanced Research Institute (MGMARI), Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Puducherry, 607402, India

    Balasubramanian Moovarkumudalvan & Ramya Ramadoss

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P.S.M , K.N. and M.B. contributed for Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation and Writing original draft. R.R. and M.N.P. contributed for Writing & Editing original draft. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Sathya Moorthy Ponnuraj or Balasubramanian Moovarkumudalvan.

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Ponnuraj, S.M., Kamariah, N., Moovarkumudalvan, B. et al. Molecular Insights of an Avian Species with Low Oxygen Affinity, the Crystal Structure of Duck T-State Methemoglobin. Protein J (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10930-024-10206-z

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