Hemoglobin Hope: A Beta Chain Variant

A new hemoglobin, hemoglobin Hope, with a beta chain abnormality has been found in three generations of a St. Louis Negro family. The abnormal hemoglobin in the heterozygous state caused neither clinical stigmata nor abnormality in the red blood cells. Hemoglobin Hope was detected by agar gel electrophoresis at pH 6.2, but could not be differentiated from hemoglobin A by starch block electrophoresis at pH 8.6. Also, it could not be separated from hemoglobin A by paper, or starch gel electrophoresis employing a range of buffers from pH 6.2 to 8.6. Amino acid analysis showed that aspartic acid was substituted for glycine at position 136 of the beta chain. Hemoglobin Hope may be formulated as α₂^Aβ₂^{136 gly-asp}.