Neuroglobin

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Human carotid body HIF and NGB expression during human development and aging.

Hypoxia inducible factor 1(HIF-1α) is the regulator of oxygen homeostasis in tissue correlated with neuroglobin (NGB) a member of the family of globins in vertebrates. The present study investigates, the expression and the location of NGB, HIF-1α in human carotid bodies, sampled at autopsy from children (mean age: 2 year ±), young (mean age: 27.5) and 4 old subjects (mean age: 73.5). The percentage of NGB positive area was higher in the old subjects (4.4 ±2.8%), as compared with the young ones (2.4 ±1.8%) and children (1.0 ±1.8%). Positive HIF-1α nuclei were detected in young and old subjects (1.0 ±0.14% vs 3.0 ±0.28%, respectively), whereas CB tissues from children did not show any HIF-1α reaction. The increase of NGB and HIF-1α expression suggests a possible role of the two oxygen sensors in the aging processes. Even though the physiological role of NGB is not well understood, it could be suggested that is act as a respiratory protein connected with HIF.

MeSH Terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aging
  • Carotid Body
  • Child, Preschool
  • Globins
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Neuroglobin


Full-length cDNA cloning of human neuroglobin and tissue expression of rat neuroglobin.

Neuroglobin is a recently discovered respiratory, porphyrin-containing protein that is expressed in the brain of mouse and human. However, the full-length cDNA sequence and genomic organization of human neuroglobin have not been reported. In this paper, the full-length cDNA sequence of human neuroglobin was cloned following bioinformatic analysis and the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique. It was shown that the full-length cDNA sequence (GenBank Accession No. AF422796) of human neuroglobin is 1909 bp in size, and the genomic sequence is 8041 bp in size (GenBank Accession No. AF422797). To further study the characterization of this gene, the coding region of rat neuroglobin (GenBank Accession No. AF333245) was cloned by using degeneracy PCR. The result showed high conservation among human, rat, and mouse neuroglobin. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that NGB was extensively expressed in rat brain by using in situ hybridization and the immunohistochemical technique. Transcription of NGB mRNA was shown to be widely distributed throughout the adult rat brain, including cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, olfactory bulb, and cerebellum. NGB protein immunoreactive cells were also widely distributed throughout normal adult rat brain, including cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, pons, and cerebellum. It could be seen that the NGB-immunopositive signals were in the cytoplasma and processes of the neuron. These data strongly support the notion that neuroglobin is a highly conserved gene in evolution and is very important in the nervous system, possibly related to the oxygen supply of the neuron.

MeSH Terms

  • Aging
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Brain
  • Brain Chemistry
  • Cell Line
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Genome, Human
  • Globins
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Neuroglobin
  • Open Reading Frames
  • Organ Specificity
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA


Molecular cloning of calmodulin mRNA species which are preferentially expressed in neurons in the rat brain.

A cDNA clone designated NGB, which was isolated from a rat brain expression library, detected two mRNA species of 1.8 and 4.0 kb which are highly enriched in brain tissue. cDNAs NGB1 and NGB2 corresponding to these two mRNAs have been isolated and characterized. Sequence data showed that both mRNA species contain the same open reading frames but differ in their 3' untranslated regions. The open reading frame encodes a calmodulin protein of 148 amino acids. Both mRNA species are derived from the rat CaMI gene by utilization of different polyadenylation addition sites. Analysis of the 3' untranslated sequence which is unique to the larger mRNA species revealed a putative AU-rich 'destabilizer' sequence which is thought to be involved in mechanisms of selective mRNA breakdown. In situ hybridization studies revealed that the two calmodulin mRNAs are expressed strongly in neuronal cells in the adult rat brain. Levels of the two mRNA species increased during early postnatal development.

MeSH Terms

  • Aging
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Brain
  • Calmodulin
  • Cattle
  • Cerebellum
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA Probes
  • Escherichia coli
  • Gene Library
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Weight
  • Neurons
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
  • Organ Specificity
  • Prosencephalon
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred Strains
  • Synapses