Current Projects

Structural and Functional Characterization of Cyanoglobins

Funded by the National Science Foundation
MCB-0804005

Several cyanobacteria are known to produce a hemoglobin (Hb) related to certain bacterial and protozoan hemoglobins. Although in nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, hemoglobin appears to scavenge oxygen to protect the nitrogenase complex from oxidative damage, in non-nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, such as Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, the role of hemoglobin remains a mystery. The goal of the project is to study the relationship between structure and reactivity in the hemoglobin of Synechocystis. NMR methods are applied to determine the structure and dynamics of the protein and to identify the residues participating in the control of ligand binding.