@article {46886,
	title = {Structural basis for the antipolymer activity of Hb ζ22βsζ2βs2 trapped in a tense conformation.},
	journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure},
	volume = {1099},
	year = {2015},
	month = {2015 Nov},
	pages = {99-107},
	abstract = {<p>The phenotypical severity of sickle cell disease (SCD) can be mitigated by modifying mutant hemoglobin S (Hb S, Hb α2β2s) to contain embryonic ζ globin in place of adult α-globin subunits (Hb ζ2β2s). Crystallographical analyses of liganded Hb ζζ2β2s, though, demonstrate a tense (T-state) quaternary structure that paradoxically predicts its participation in--rather than its exclusion from--pathological deoxyHb S polymers. We resolved this structure-function conundrum by examining the effects of α\&nbsp;{\textrightarrow}\&nbsp;ζ exchange on the characteristics of specific amino acids that mediate sickle polymer assembly. Superposition analyses of the βs subunits of T-state deoxyHb α2β2s and T-state CO-liganded Hb ζ2β2s reveal significant displacements of both mutant βsVal6 and conserved β-chain contact residues, predicting weakening of corresponding polymer-stabilizing interactions. Similar comparisons of the α- and ζ-globin subunits implicate four amino acids that are either repositioned or undergo non-conservative substitution, abrogating critical polymer contacts. CO-Hb ζ2βs2 additionally exhibits a unique trimer-of-heterotetramers crystal packing that is sustained by novel intermolecular interactions involving the pathological βsVal6, contrasting sharply with the classical double-stranded packing of deoxyHb S. Finally, the unusually large buried solvent-accessible surface area for CO-Hb ζ2β2s suggests that it does not co-assemble with deoxyHb S <em>in\&nbsp;vivo \&nbsp;</em>. In sum, the antipolymer activities of Hb ζ2β2s appear to arise from both repositioning and replacement of specific α- and βs-chain residues, favoring an alternate T-state solution structure that is excluded from pathological deoxyHb S polymers. These data account for the antipolymer activity of Hb ζ2β2s, and recommend the utility of SCD therapeutics that capitalize on α-globin exchange strategies.</p>
},
	issn = {0022-2860},
	doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2015.06.047},
	author = {Safo, Martin K and Ko, Tzu-Ping and Schreiter, Eric R and Russell, J. Eric}
}
