Life Sciences Commons^™

Utilizing In Silico And/Or Native Esi Approaches To Provide New Insights On Haptoglobin/Globin And Haptoglobin/Receptor Interactions, Ololade Fatunmbi

Doctoral Dissertations

Haptoglobin (Hp), an acute phase protein, binds free hemoglobin (Hb) dimers in one of the strongest non-covalent interactions known in biology. This interaction protects Hb from causing potentially severe oxidative damage and limiting nitric oxide bioavailability. Once Hb/Hp complexes are formed, they proceed to bind CD163, a cell surface receptor on macrophages leading to complex internalization and catabolism. Myoglobin, (Mb) a monomeric protein, that is normally found in the muscle but can be released into the blood in high concentrations during myocardial injury, is homologous to Hb and shares many conserved Hb/Hp interface residues. Both monomeric Hb and Mb species …