Myoglobin

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Myoglobin is a single-chain protein of 153 amino acids, containing a heme (iron-containing porphyrin) group in the center. With a molecular weight of 16,700 Daltons, it is the primary oxygen-carrying pigment of muscle tissues. Unlike the blood-borne hemoglobin, to which it is structurally related, this protein does not exhibit cooperative binding of oxygen. Instead, the binding of oxygen by myoglobin is unaffected by the oxygen tension in the surrounding tissue. In 1957, John Kendrew and associates successfully determined the structure of myoglobin by high-resolution X-ray crystallography.

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For this discovery, John Kendrew shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Max Perutz.

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Single-chain: redirectSingle-chain variable fragment...

Protein: A protein (in Greek πρωτεϊνη = first thread) is a complex, high-molecular-weight organic compound that consists of amino acids joined by peptide bonds. Proteins are essential to the structure and function of all living cells and viruses....

Amino acid: In chemistry, an amino acid is any molecule that contains both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups....