Computational investigation of the electron transfer complex between neuroglobin and cytochrome c

Neuroglobin (Ngb) was the first vertebrate nerve globin to be identified. Since then, different physiological roles have been hypothesised for this hexa-coordinated globin, but its function is far from being unambiguously assigned. In a previous work, we collected first evidences of Ngb potentially taking part to electron transfer (ET) processes in vivo, investigating the redox thermodynamics of this globin. Here, we perform a computational investigation on the complex between Ngb and its putative in vivo partner cyt c and on the ET process between the two species. The simulated structure of the complex is amenable for ET in terms of distance and relative protein orientation. Moreover, the redox-dependent stability of the predicted Ngb-cyt c adduct and the very good agreement between calculated determinants to the ET rate and those of paradigmatic metalloproteins acting as electron shuttles all support a potential role of neuroglobin as an electron transfer species.