The orientation of sickle hemoglobin fibers within fascicles

Abstract

Highly ordered bundles of deoxyhemoglobin S (HbS) fibers, termed fascicles, are intermediates in the high pH crystallization pathway of HbS. These fibers consist of 7 Wishner-Love double strands in a helical configuration. Since each double strand has a polarity, the odd number of double strands in the fiber imparts a net polarity to the structure. HbS crystals have a unit cell containing two double strands, one of each polarity, resulting in a net polarity of zero. Therefore a rearrangement of the double strands must occur to form a non-polar crystal from the polar fibers. To determine the role of fascicles as an intermediate in the crystallization pathway it is important to understand the relative orientation of fibers within fascicles. Furthermore, an understanding of fascicle structure may have implications for the design of potential sickling inhibitors, since it is bundles of fibers which cause the red cell distortion responsible for the vaso-occlusive complications characteristic of sickle cell anemia.