Researchers Discover First Ever Link between Hemoglobin-like Protein and Normal Heart Development
Published:16 Jan.2024 Source:University of Maryland School of Medicine
In a landmark study led by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, researchers discovered for the first time that a certain kind of protein similar to hemoglobin, called cytoglobin, plays an important role in the development of the heart. Specifically, it affects the correct left-right pattern of the heart and other asymmetric organs.
To conduct the study, the research team knocked out the gene for cytoglobin in zebrafish and were amazed to see that it led to dramatic defects in the structure and location of organs in developing embryos. The heart, for example, was located on the right side of the fish instead of the left with a looping to the left instead of the right.
This is the first time cytoglobin -- or any of the globin proteins like hemoglobin -- has been found to be involved in fetal development and that a paucity could be linked to birth defects. It's also the first time that cytoglobin has been linked to cilia function. Such a finding could open the door for the development of therapeutics for rare birth defects that affect the movement of cilia. While certain genes have been identified that are known to cause about 70 percent of PCD cases, cytoglobin could play a key role in the 30 percent of cases with no known genetic cause.