Study Of Neuroglobin Expression And Molecular Mechanism With Related Protein Of Neuroglobin Protecting The Retina From Experimental Ischemia And Hypoxia In Vivo

Given that the brain consumes a highly disproportionate share of the total body oxygen uptake; this places the retina as one of the highest oxygen consuming tissues in the body. The oxygen consumption of the retina on a per gram basis has been described as higher than that of the brain. In addition to the well known hemoglobin (Hb) and myoglobin (Mb), the third type of globin--a neuron-specific respiratory, porphyrin-containing protein--neuroglobin has been recently described in human and other vertebrates that predominantly expressed in the retina, brain and other nerve tissues, which could facilitate the oxygen transport to the neuron. It is estimated that the concentration of neuroglobin in the retina is thus about 100-fold higher in the total brain extracts and is in the same range as that of myoglobin in the muscle and neuroglobin makes up 2–4% of the total retinal protein. Our lab team has already cloned the full-length cDNA sequence of human neuroglobin following bioinformatic analysis and the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique and tissue expression of rat...