Vertebrates possess multiple respiratory globins that differ in structure, function, and tissue distribution. Three different globins have been described so far: hemoglobin facilitates oxygen transport in blood, myoglobin mediates oxygen transport and storage in the muscle and neuroglobin has a yet unidentified function in nerve cells. A fourth globin has been identified in mouse, human and zebrafish. It is ubiquitously expressed in human tissue and therefore called cytoglobin (CYGB) (Burmester et al. 2002, Trent & Hargrove 2002). Unlike the specific expression patterns of Hb and Mb, CYGB is found in vascular smooth muscle, fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes. CYGB functions as a homodimer (Hamdane et al. 2003) and is localised to the cytosol of these cells where its O2 loading and unloading ability within a narrow O2 tension range makes it an ideal protein for O2 storage, especially during hypoxia (Fago et al. 2004).
Hankeln, T, Burmester, T, Pesce, A, Hamdane, D, Bolognesi, M, Kiger, L, Marden, MC, Uzan, J, Dewilde, S, Moens, L, Green, BN
Hargrove, MS, Trent, JT
Gilany, K, Hundahl, C, Dewilde, S, Moens, L, Fago, A, Weber, RE
Hankeln, T, Burmester, T, Ebner, B, Weich, B
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