Haemoglobins and myoglobins constitute related protein families that function in oxygen transport and storage in humans and other vertebrates. Here we report the identification of a third globin type in man and mouse. This protein is predominantly expressed in the brain, and therefore we have called it neuroglobin. Mouse neuroglobin is a monomer with a high oxygen affinity (half saturation pressure, P50 approximately 2 torr). Analogous to myoglobin, neuroglobin may increase the availability of oxygen to brain tissue. The human neuroglobin gene (NGB), located on chromosome 14q24, has a unique exon-intron structure. Neuroglobin represents a distinct protein family that diverged early in metazoan evolution, probably before the Protostomia/Deuterostomia split.

Neuroglobin is a recently discovered member of the globin superfamily that is suggested to enhance the O 2 supply of the vertebrate brain. Spectral measurements with human and mouse recombinant neuroglobin provide evidence for a hexacoordinated deoxy ferrous (Fe 2؉ ) form, indicating a His-Fe 2؉ -His binding scheme. O 2 or CO can displace the endogenous protein ligand, which is identified as the distal histidine by mutagenesis. The ferric (Fe 3؉ ) form of neuroglobin is also hexacoordinated with the protein ligand E7-His and does not exhibit pH dependence. Flash photolysis studies show a high recombination rate (k on ) and a slow dissociation rate (k off ) for both O 2 and CO, indicating a high intrinsic affinity for these ligands. However, because the ratelimiting step in ligand combination with the deoxy hexacoordinated form involves the dissociation of the protein ligand, O 2 and CO binding is suggested to be slow in vivo. Because of this competition, the observed O 2 affinity of recombinant human neuroglobin is average (1 torr at 37°C). Neuroglobin has a high autoxidation rate, resulting in an oxidation at 37°C by air within a few minutes. The oxidation/reduction potential of mouse neuroglobin (E o ‫؍‬ ؊129 mV) lies within the physiological range. Under natural conditions, recombinant mouse neuroglobin occurs as a monomer with disulfidedependent formation of dimers. The biochemical and kinetic characteristics are discussed in view of the possible functions of neuroglobin in the vertebrate brain.In addition to the well known hemoglobins (Hbs) 1 and myoglobins (Mbs), a third type of globin has recently been described in vertebrates that is predominantly expressed in the brain and other nerve tissues (1). These neuroglobins (NGBs) consist of single chains with 151 amino acids (M r ϭ ϳ17,000) that share only little sequence similarity with the vertebrate globins (Mb Ͻ 21%; Hb Ͻ 25%). Nevertheless, all key determinants of genuine globins are conserved (2). Although NGB was initially discovered in mouse and man, recent data show its presence in many different mammalian species as well as in fish, suggesting the universal occurrence of NGB in vertebrate brains. Nerve-specific globins have been sporadically observed in mollusc, annelid, arthropod, and nemertean species (3-5). These invertebrate nerve globins reach high local concentrations up to the millimolar range, which may be sufficient to facilitate O 2 diffusion or store O 2 that supports cell function during temporary hypoxia (5). The latter assumption is supported by the observation that the nervous function in the mollusc Tellina alternata under anoxic conditions depends on the oxygenation of a nerve globin (6, 7). However, the estimated amount of NGB in the vertebrate brain under nonpathological conditions is only in the micromolar range and thus is much lower than that of a typical invertebrate nerve globin (1). The physiological role of such lowly expressed globins is not well understood. Wittenberg (8) proposed that cytoplasmic globins at low concentrat...

It was a zoological sensation when a living specimen of the coelacanth was first discovered in 1938, as this lineage of lobe-finned fish was thought to have gone extinct 70 million years ago. The modern coelacanth looks remarkably similar to many of its ancient relatives, and its evolutionary proximity to our own fish ancestors provides a glimpse of the fish that first walked on land. Here we report the genome sequence of the African coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae. Through a phylogenomic analysis, we conclude that the lungfish, and not the coelacanth, is the closest living relative of tetrapods. Coelacanth protein-coding genes are significantly more slowly evolving than those of tetrapods, unlike other genomic features . Analyses of changes in genes and regulatory elements during the vertebrate adaptation to land highlight genes involved in immunity, nitrogen excretion and the development of fins, tail, ear, eye, brain, and olfaction. Functional assays of enhancers involved in the fin-to-limb transition and in the emergence of extra-embryonic tissues demonstrate the importance of the coelacanth genome as a blueprint for understanding tetrapod evolution.

Vertebrates possess multiple respiratory globins that differ in terms of structure, function, and tissue distribution. Three types of globins have been described so far: hemoglobin facilitates the transport of oxygen in the blood, myoglobin serves oxygen transport and storage in the muscle, and neuroglobin has a yet unidentified function in nerve cells. Here we report the identification of a fourth and novel type of globin in mouse, man, and zebrafish. It is expressed in apparently all types of human tissue and therefore has been called cytoglobin (CYGB). Mouse and human CYGBs comprise 190 amino acids; the zebrafish CYGB, 174 amino acids. The human CYGB gene is located on chromosome 17q25. The mammalian genes display a unique exon-intron pattern with an additional exon resulting in a C-terminal extension of the protein, which is absent in the fish CYGB. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that the CYGBs had a common ancestor with vertebrate myoglobins. This indicates that the vertebrate myoglobins are in fact a specialized intracellular globin that evolved in adaptation to the special needs of muscle cells.

Neuroglobin, mainly expressed in vertebrate brain and retina, is a recently identified member of the globin superfamily. Augmenting O(2) supply, neuroglobin promotes survival of neurons upon hypoxic injury, potentially limiting brain damage. In the absence of exogenous ligands, neuroglobin displays a hexacoordinated heme. O(2) and CO bind to the heme iron, displacing the endogenous HisE7 heme distal ligand. Hexacoordinated human neuroglobin displays a classical globin fold adapted to host the reversible bis-histidyl heme complex and an elongated protein matrix cavity, held to facilitate O(2) diffusion to the heme. The neuroglobin structure suggests that the classical globin fold is endowed with striking adaptability, indicating that hemoglobin and myoglobin are just two examples within a wide and functionally diversified protein homology superfamily.