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Protein / target

Myoglobin

Encoded byMBP02144Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
UniProt: P02144Ensembl: ENSG00000198125HGNC: HGNC:6915NCBI Gene: 4151
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Structure with Ligand
1
Research papers

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Nitrite reductase

Strongest disease association

Colorectal Neoplasms

Via encoding gene MB · Genetic evidence · score 0.44

Research activity

Emerging research

1 papers · latest 2009

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function overview

Monomeric heme protein which primary function is to store oxygen and facilitate its diffusion within muscle tissues.

View complete UniProt function annotation

Monomeric heme protein which primary function is to store oxygen and facilitate its diffusion within muscle tissues. Reversibly binds oxygen through a pentacoordinated heme iron and enables its timely and efficient release as needed during periods of heightened demand (PubMed:30918256, PubMed:34679218). Depending on the oxidative conditions of tissues and cells, and in addition to its ability to bind oxygen, it also has a nitrite reductase activity whereby it regulates the production of bioactive nitric oxide (PubMed:32891753). Under stress conditions, like hypoxia and anoxia, it also protects cells against reactive oxygen species thanks to its pseudoperoxidase activity (PubMed:34679218)

Subcellular location

Cytoplasm, sarcoplasm
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (13)

Domains & features

Globin

Gene Ontology

  • Ccytosol
  • Cextracellular exosome
  • Csarcoplasm
  • Fheme binding
  • Fmetal ion binding
  • Fnitrite reductase activity
  • Foxygen binding
  • Foxygen carrier activity
  • Fperoxidase activity
  • Poxygen transport
  • Premoval of superoxide radicals
  • Pskeletal muscle contraction

154 aa · 17 kDa

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically, strongest evidence first. Disease associations are gene-level (via the gene that encodes this protein) and open into the full confidence synthesis; the development universe, tractability and safety annotations are target-level, from Open Targets.

Strongest disease associations · via encoding gene MB

Gene-level evidence surfaced through the gene MBthat encodes this protein — not a direct protein–disease relationship. Ranked by Forefront's causal-directness weighting, so genetically- and clinically-evidenced diseases lead over ones that merely share the literature.

Colorectal Neoplasms
0.46Limited support

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.28

Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic
0.24Preliminary

Animal model evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.07 · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Familial isolated dilated cardiomyopathy
0.24Preliminary

Animal model evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.07 · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Acute Kidney Injury
0.14Preliminary

Literature evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.11 · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Neoplasms
0.14Preliminary

Literature evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.11 · no direct causal or clinical evidence

View evidence synthesis (5)
Colorectal NeoplasmsLimited support
0.46
agreement 0.32–0.60
Genetic91%Literature9%

Open Targets aggregate 0.28 · 2 independent evidence families

Cardiomyopathy, HypertrophicPreliminary
0.24
agreement 0.07–0.42
Animal model98%Literature2%

Open Targets aggregate 0.07 · 2 independent evidence families · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Familial isolated dilated cardiomyopathyPreliminary
0.24
agreement 0.01–0.47
Animal model100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.07 · 1 independent evidence family · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Acute Kidney InjuryPreliminary
0.14
agreement 0.00–0.41
Literature100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.11 · 1 independent evidence family · no direct causal or clinical evidence

NeoplasmsPreliminary
0.14
agreement 0.00–0.41
Literature100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.11 · 1 independent evidence family · no direct causal or clinical evidence

The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the per-type scores above show the calculation.

Show all associations
Colorectal Neoplasms0.28
Acute Kidney Injury0.11
Neoplasms0.11
Diabetic Nephropathies0.09
Myocarditis0.09
Breast Neoplasms0.09
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic0.07
Familial isolated dilated cardiomyopathy0.07

Tractability

Small molecules — Emerging

Feasibility evidence (structure with ligand and high-quality ligand) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

Protein degraders — Emerging

Feasibility evidence (small molecule binder) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

View underlying tractability evidence (3)
SM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandPR · Small Molecule Binder

Raw Open Targets tractability assessment buckets, by modality.

Research activity

1 papers · to 2009

Papers linked directly to this protein. This is the protein's own literature — descriptor-derived papers are kept separate below.

Most cited

Early diagnosis of myocardial infarction with sensitive cardiac troponin assays.1,111 cites

Reichlin T · The New England journal of medicine · 2009

Recent

Early diagnosis of myocardial infarction with sensitive cardiac troponin assays.

Reichlin T · The New England journal of medicine · 2009

Europe PMC papers linked directly to this protein.