Structure and function of the globin and globin gene from the Antarctic mollusc Yoldia eightsi

Abstract

The mechanism of adaptation of haemoglobin from the Antarctic mollusc Yoldia eightsi to its low-temperature environment is a decrease in the oxygen affinity via an increased ligand-dissociation rate. At 2°C this haemoglobin has an oxygen affinity similar to other haemoglobins at 25°C. At 25°C, Yoldia haemoglobin shows a low oxygen affinity, resembling that of human deoxyhaemoglobin. The mechanism involves a lower binding energy to oxygen, suggesting a loss or weakening of the usual hydrogen bond, leading to a higher oxygen-dissociation rate. However, Yoldia haemoglobin has the usual distal and proximal histidines, so the primary structure alone does not provide an obvious explanation for the low affinity. The CO-binding kinetics are biphasic, with the fraction of slow phase increasing at higher protein concentrations, indicating the formation of dimers or a higher level of polymerization. The protein—protein interaction appears to be of hydrophobic nature, since it can be partially reversed by addition of ethylene glycol as co-solvent. While the CO-association rates differ by a factor of 10, the oxygen equilibrium data could be simulated with a single affinity. The Yoldia haemoglobin gene contains three introns, interrupting the coding region at position NA1.2, B12.2 and G7.0. The conservation of the B12.2 and G7.0 introns is in contrast with the unprecedented NA1.2 intron. Phylogenetic analyses reveal a gene tree where the Yoldia haemoglobin gene is separated from other mollusc globin genes, confirming the specific adaptation of the Yoldia haemoglobin.