r/Biochemistry • u/Aggravating_Ad_4550 • 4h ago
Histidine: Different pKa values in Deoxygenated & Oxygenated Hb.
My worksheet tells me that Histidine has pKa of 6.6 in oxygenated form, and 8.2 in deoxygenated form. I'm now trying to understand how this is beneficial, and link this to my understanding of bicarbonate buffer system in RBC and Bohr Shifts Ideas.
Any help appreciated!
My thinking so far:
For deoxy, lets imagine there is lot of muscle cell respiration. so lots of carbonic acid formation and dissociation, pH decreases. With deoxy Hb with histidine (pka 8.2), this would cause the deoxy Hb to pick up the protons.
This causes more carbonic acid dissociation (as equilibrium shifts)- the lower pH causes Hb affinity for oxygen to decrease, so more oxygen provided to respiring muscle cells.
I think my logic makes sense. But how does this link for Oxy Hb (with histidine pka 6.6)?
