Interaction of extracellular hemoglobin Amynthas gracilis (HbAg) with heavy metal

• Grant number: 16/21022-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2016
• End date: November 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Molecular Biophysics
• Principal Investigator: Patrícia Soares Santiago
• Grantee: Raphael de Araújo Campos
• Host Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Registro. Registro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 15/11447-1 - Biophysical characterization of Amynthas gracilis hemoprotein and its potential use as biosensor of environmental contamination, AP.JP

Abstract

This research project aims to perform studies related to the interaction of giant extracellular hemoglobin extracted from annelid Amynthas gracilis (HbAg) in the presence heavy metals. The importance of studying the giant extracellular hemoglobin is related to its high stability oligomeric, oxidation resistance, high cooperativity and a high affinity to bind oxygen, in addition to their potential use in biomedical applications such as blood substitute. These properties make the extracellular hemoglobins quite unique and interesting for studies with biotechnological applications. Thus, to evaluate the physico-chemical properties of HbAg in the absence and presence of heavy metals, it proposes the use of different biophysical techniques such as optical absorption and fluorescence. Thus we evaluate the effect of metals in the dissociation and / or denaturation of HbAg, where we propose a decoupling mechanisms and denaturation of HbAg. These studies are very important to evaluate the HbAg of potential as an environmental contamination biosensor. (AU)