A hypothesis for the increased oxygen affinity in haemoglobin Malmö

Haemoglobin Malmöbeta97His leads to Gln, a high oxygen affinity haemoglobin which causes secondary erythrocytosis, is transmitted in an autosomal dominant manner. A hypothesis accounting for the high oxygen affinity, hyperbolic oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve, and the relatively normal Bohr effect is presented. The purified abnormal haemoglobin from the present family provided biochemical and functional data for this hypothesis based on the allosteric model proposed by Perutz. Experimental results support the formation of a chemical bond between the -SH proton of the beta93 cysteine and the amide of oxygen of the substituted beta97 glutamine as an explanation for the high oxygen affinity of haemoglobin Malmö.