Alteration of the alpha 1 beta 2/ alpha 2 beta 1 subunit interface contributes to the increased hemoglobin-oxygen affinity of high-altitude deer mice.
Inoguchi, N., Mizuno, N., Baba, S., Kumasaka, T., Natarajan, C., Storz, J.F., Moriyama, H.(2017) PLoS One 12: e0174921-e0174921
- PubMed: 28362841 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174921
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
5KER - PubMed Abstract: 
Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) that are native to high altitudes in the Rocky Mountains have evolved hemoglobins with an increased oxygen-binding affinity relative to those of lowland conspecifics. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms responsible for the evolved increase in hemoglobin-oxygen affinity, the crystal structure of the highland hemoglobin variant was solved and compared with the previously reported structure for the lowland variant.
Organizational Affiliation: 
School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America.