Polymerization of recombinant hemoglobin F gamma E6V and hemoglobin F gamma E6V, gamma Q87T alone, and in mixtures with hemoglobin S.

To further understand determinants for Hemoglobin (Hb) S polymerization, as well as the inhibitory mechanism of Hb F on Hb S polymerization, Hb F variants containing Val-gamma 6 (Hb F gamma E6V) or Val-gamma 6, Thr-gamma 87 (Hb F gamma E6V, gamma Q87T) were expressed in yeast. The oxy form of Hb F gamma E6V was about 10-fold less stable to mechanical agitation than native oxy Hb F, which is similar to stability differences comparing oxy Hb S and oxy Hb A. Deoxy Hb F gamma E6V showed approximately 20-fold decreased solubility compared with native deoxy Hb F in high phosphate buffer and formed gels like deoxy Hb S in low phosphate buffer, indicating that the Val-gamma 6 substitution decreases solubility of Hb F like Val-beta 6 in deoxy Hb S. Oversaturated deoxy Hb F gamma E6V polymerized without a delay time in low and high phosphate buffers, in contrast to deoxy Hb S, which is accompanied by a distinct delay time before polymerization. Deoxy Hb F gamma E6V, gamma Q87T also polymerized without a delay time like deoxy Hb F gamma E6V. These results suggest that deoxy Hb F gamma E6V gamma Q87T polymers are different from those of deoxy Hb S, and that contact sites differ from those of deoxy Hb S, even though both have the same primary donor (A3) and acceptor sites in the EF helix. These results also suggest that other amino acids in addition to beta 6 Val and amino acids in the F helix are critical for nucleation-controlled polymerization of deoxy Hb S. 1:1 mixtures of deoxy Hb S and either Hb F variant polymerized with a delay time when the concentrations for the Hb S/Hb F gamma E6V and Hb S/Hb F gamma E6V, gamma Q87T mixtures were about 2- and 1.5-fold, respectively, higher than that for Hb S. Logarithmic plots of delay time versus concentration for Hb S/Hb F gamma E6V mixtures showed the same straight line as the line for Hb S/Hb S beta T87Q mixtures, but values for Hb S/Hb F gamma E6V, gamma Q87T mixtures were intermediate between those for Hb S and Hb S/Hb F gamma E6V mixtures. A 1:1 mixture of deoxy Hb A and Hb F gamma E6V, gamma Q87T also polymerized, but exhibited biphasic kinetics, when the concentration was increased to more than 3.5-fold higher than that required for Hb S polymer formation. These results suggest that Gin-gamma 87 is a critical amino acid for exclusion of FS hybrids (alpha 2 beta S gamma) from nuclei formation with Hb S. Our findings also show that Val-gamma 6 in hybrids that form in mixtures of the Hb F variants with either Hb S or Hb A interacts with the hydrophobic acceptor pocket on the EF helix of an adjacent tetramer containing Thr-beta 87.