Tuyển tập các báo cáo nghiên cứu về sinh học được đăng trên tạp chí sinh học Journal of Biology đề tài: Globin genes on the move. | Journal of Biology BioMed Central Minireview Globin genes on the move Ross C Hardison Address Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics Huck Institutes of Life Sciences and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology The Pennsylvania State University University Park PA 16802 USA. Email rch8@ Published 20 November 2008 Journal of Biology 2008 7 35 doi jbiol92 The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at http content 7 9 35 2008 BioMed Central Ltd Abstract Recent data published in BMC Biology from the globin gene clusters in platypus together with data from other species show that P-globin genes transposed from one chromosomal location to another. This resolves some controversies about vertebrate globin gene evolution but ignites new ones. The importance of hemoglobin proteins and genes In metazoans hemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs gills or other respiratory organs to peripheral tissues that need the oxygen for efficient metabolism. Hemoglobin is composed of one or more globin polypeptide chains which bind the iron-containing cofactor heme. Other organisms use the oxygen-binding and redox capacity of hemoglobin in a variety of other ways. Most multicellular species produce distinctive forms of hemoglobin at different developmental stages. Studies of globin genes and their evolution are driven by a desire to understand how this diversity of protein structures and functions was generated. Current evolutionary ideas about gene duplication and divergence had their origin in studies of hemoglobin genes and other multigene families. In addition interest in the hemoglobin genes is fueled by the realization that the most common genetic diseases in humans such as sickle cell disease and inherited anemias result from pathological variants in the hemoglobin genes. The quest to understand normal hemoglobin production and function and to learn what goes wrong in hemoglobinopathies should .
