
Compilation of free information about human parts, their function, assembly, repair, and maintenance
| Myoglobin | |
|---|---|
![]() Model of helical domains in myoglobin. |
|
| Gene code: | HUGO code: MB[1] |
| Structure: | molecular structure[2] |
| Recent publications: |
role in human pathologies,[3] gene knockout[4] |
| protein type: | Hemoprotein |
| Functions: | oxygen storage/transport |
| Domains: | globin[5] |
| Diseases: | kidney disease, vasospasm |
| Taxa expressing: |
many
metazoan
phyla, Archaea?[6] protozoan/eubacterial?[7] |
| Cell types: | muscle cells |
| Subcellular localization: | cytoplasm |
| covalent modifications |
glycation?[8] phosphorylation in whales?[9] |
| Other names: | myoglobin-like proteins in microorganisms[10] |
| Molecular interactions |
oxygen, heme, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide |
| related articles: |
X-ray crystallography, Secondary structure |
Myoglobin is a single-chain globular protein of 153 amino acids, containing a heme (iron-containing porphyrin) prosthetic group in the center around which the remaining apoprotein folds. With a molecular weight of 16,700 daltons, it is the primary oxygen-carrying pigment of muscle tissues.[11] Unlike the blood-borne hemoglobin, to which it is structurally related,[12] this protein does not exhibit cooperative binding of oxygen, since positive cooperativity is a property reserved for multimeric proteins. Instead, the binding of oxygen by myoglobin is unaffected by the oxygen pressure in the surrounding tissue. Myoglobin is often cited as having an "instant binding tenacity" to oxygen given its hyperbolic oxygen dissociation curve. In 1958, John Kendrew and associates successfully determined the structure of myoglobin by high-resolution X-ray crystallography.[13] For this discovery, John Kendrew shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Max Perutz.[14]
Myoglobin forms pigments responsible for making meat red. The color that meat takes is partly determined by the charge of the iron atom in myoglobin and the oxygen attached to it. In its raw state, the iron atom has a charge of +2 and is bound to O2, an oxygen molecule. Meat cooked well done is brown because the iron atom has a charge of +3, having lost an electron, and is now bound to a water molecule (H2O). Under some conditions, meat can also remain pink all through cooking, despite being heated to high temperatures. If meat has been exposed to nitrites, it will remain pink because the iron atom is bound to NO, nitric oxide (true of, e.g., corned beef or cured hams). Grilled meats can also take on a pink "smoke ring" that comes from the iron binding a molecule of carbon monoxide.[15]
Myoglobin is released from damaged muscle tissue (rhabdomyolysis), which has very high concentrations of myoglobin. The released myoglobin is filtered by the kidneys but is toxic to the renal tubular epithelium and so may cause acute renal failure.[16]
Myoglobin is a sensitive marker for muscle injury, making it a potential marker for heart attack in patients with chest pain.[17] Its lack of specificity and the cost of the analysis has prevented its widespread use.
Myoglobin consists of a porphyrin ring with an iron center. There is a proximal histidine group attached directly to the iron center, and a distal histidine group on the opposite face, not bonded to the iron.
Many functional models of myoglobin have been studied. One of the most important are that of picket fence porphyrin by James Collman. This model was used to show the importance of the distal prosthetic group. It serves three functions:
The content of this section is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License (local copy). It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Myoglobin" modified August 28, 2007 with previous authors listed in its history.