Functional Defects of Hb Kempsey (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$) Can be Compensated by Insertion of a New Intersubunit Hydrogen Bond at the ${\alpha}_1{\beta}_2$ Subunit Interface

X-ray crystallographic studies of the deoxy form of human adult hemoglobin (Hb A) have shown that ${\beta}99Asp$ is hydrogen bonded to both ${\alpha}42Tyr$ and ${\alpha}97Asn$ in the ${\alpha}_1{\beta}_2$ subunit interface, suggesting that the essential role of ${\beta}99Asp$ is to stabilize the deoxy-Hb by creating the intersubunit hydrogen bond. In particular, for Hb Kempsey (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$), molecular dynamics simulation indicated that a new hydrogen bond involving ${\beta}99Asn$ can be induced by replacing ${\alpha}42Tyr$ with a strong hydrogen-bond acceptor such as Asp. Designed mutant recombinant (r) Hb (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$, ${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$) have been produced in the Escherichia coli expression system and have shown that functional defects of Hb Kempsey could be compensated by the ${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$ substitution. However, as the ${\alpha}42 Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$ mutation has never been reported before, it is still possible that the functional properties of r Hb (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$, ${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$) may be due to the mutation itself. Thus, it is required to produce r Hb (${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$) and r Hb Kempsey (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}AsnX$( as controls, and to compare their properties with those of r Hb (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$, ${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$). r Hb (${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$) could not be purified because it is an unstable hemoglobin which forms Heinz bodies. r Hb Kempsey (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$) exhibits very high oxygen affinity and greatly reduced cooperativity. Thus, r Hb (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$) and r Hb (${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp)$ compensate each other.