Hbb-bs, also known as hemoglobin beta adult s chain, is associated with genes involved in oxygen transport and binding processes [1]. Hemoglobin genes, including Hbb-bs, may serve as potential biomarkers for antioxidant effects and are involved in antioxidant-related signaling pathways such as oxygen binding [3].

In a study on gene knockout mice, microinjection of a plasmid DNA encoding Cas9 protein along with dual sgRNAs specific to Hbb-bs gene enabled breaking target sequences at exons 2 and 3 positions, leading to a knockout allele with around 10% efficiency for deletion of exons 2 and 3 and 20% for indel mutation [2]. In another study, NNA exposure in mice led to down-regulation of Hbb-bs, which in turn caused oxidative damage in the testis [1].

In conclusion, Hbb-bs is important for oxygen-related biological functions. Gene knockout mouse models have been used to study its role, and changes in its expression, as seen in NNA-exposed mice, can lead to oxidative damage, highlighting its significance in maintaining normal physiological function, especially in relation to oxidative stress-related conditions [1,2].

References:

1. Liu, Huage. 2025. 1-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridinyl)-4-butanal exposure induces testicular toxicity in male mice. In Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.), 133, 108881. doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2025.108881. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40054755/

2. Ghassemi, Bita, Shamsara, Mehdi, Soleimani, Masoud, Kiani, Jafar, Rassoulzadegan, Minoo. 2018. Pipeline for the generation of gene knockout mice using dual sgRNA CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing. In Analytical biochemistry, 568, 31-40. doi:10.1016/j.ab.2018.12.002. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30593779/

3. Zhang, Ying, Wu, Meng-Xi, Li, Hong-Mei, Huang, Lu-Qi, Yuan, Yuan. 2023. Potential benefits of Rehmanniae Radix after ancient rice-steaming process in promotion of antioxidant activity in rats' health. In Food science & nutrition, 11, 5532-5542. doi:10.1002/fsn3.3509. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37701193/