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First published online May 1, 2009
Journal of Experimental Biology 212, 1423-1428 (2009)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2009
doi: 10.1242/jeb.000729

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Commentary

What is the function of neuroglobin?

Thorsten Burmester^1,* and Thomas Hankeln²

¹ Institute of Zoology and Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
² Institute of Molecular Genetics, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, J. J. Becherweg 30a, D-55099 Mainz, Germany

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: thorsten.burmester{at}uni-hamburg.de)

Accepted 3 March 2009

For a long time, haemoglobin and myoglobin had been assumed to represent the only globin types of vertebrates. In 2000, however, we discovered a third globin type by mining the genome sequence data. Based on a preferential expression in the nervous system, this globin is referred to as neuroglobin. Despite nine years of research, its function is still uncertain and a number of hypotheses have been put forward. Neuroglobin enhances cell viability under hypoxia and under various types of oxidative stress in transgenic systems, but does not appear to be strongly upregulated in response to stress. A close phylogenetic relationship with invertebrate nerve globins and its positive correlation with the oxidative metabolism and mitochondria suggest a role in O₂ supply. In vitro studies and cell culture experiments imply that neuroglobin may detoxify reactive oxygen or nitric oxide. Still other studies propose neuroglobin as being part of a signalling chain that transmits the redox state of the cell or that inhibits apoptosis. Although some functions are more probable than others, we conclude that it is still too early to definitively decide what may be the physiological role(s) of neuroglobin in vertebrates. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that neuroglobin has an essential, conserved function and is beneficial to neurons.

Key words: globin, mitochondria, ischemia, gene regulation, reactive oxygen species

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