The Structure of Goat Hemoglobins

Abstract

Abstract It has been demonstrated that the β chain of the hemoglobin of the adult goat (β-A) is replaced by another type of β chain (β-C) during severe anemia from blood loss. Since two adult hemoglobin types (A and B), which differ in their α chains, may be present in the adult goat, both hemoglobin types disappear during anemia and are replaced by two new hemoglobin types. The β-C chain of the goat differs from the β-A chain of the goat by a minimal number of 18 residues and from the β-C chain of the sheep by perhaps only 1 amino acid residue. The β-A chain of the goat differs from the β-A chain of the sheep by perhaps only 4 residues and from the β-B chain of the sheep by perhaps 7 residues. These data suggest a common ancestor of the β-C chains of the goat and the sheep with a divergence of the β-A in the goat and of β-A and β-B in the sheep after the creation of the β-C genes.