Hemoglobin Brisbane: beta68 Leu replaced by His. A new high oxygen affinity variant

Hemoglobin Brisbane is a new hemoglobin variant which produces a mile erythrocytosis. It is not detectable by electrophoresis at pH 8.6 or by isoelectric focusing but it is mildly unstable and gives a positive result with standard stability tests. The new hemoglobin has increased oxygen affinity and reduced co-operativity with a normal Bohr effect and 2,3-DPG binding. Structural analysis shows that a histidine residue has replaced the leucine normally found at position beta 68 (E12).