Heme A biosynthesis

Biochim Biophys Acta. 2012 Jun;1817(6):920-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2012.03.025. Epub 2012 Mar 30.

Abstract

Respiration in plants, most animals and many aerobic microbes is dependent on heme A. This is a highly specialized type of heme found as prosthetic group in cytochrome a-containing respiratory oxidases. Heme A differs structurally from heme B (protoheme IX) by the presence of a hydroxyethylfarnesyl group instead of a vinyl side group at the C2 position and a formyl group instead of a methyl side group at position C8 of the porphyrin macrocycle. Heme A synthase catalyzes the formation of the formyl side group and is a poorly understood heme-containing membrane bound atypical monooxygenase. This review presents our current understanding of heme A synthesis at the molecular level in mitochondria and aerobic bacteria. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biogenesis/Assembly of Respiratory Enzyme Complexes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteria / metabolism
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Bacterial Proteins / physiology
  • Chlorophyll / biosynthesis
  • Electron Transport
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Ferrochelatase / genetics
  • Ferrochelatase / metabolism
  • Ferrochelatase / physiology*
  • Heme / analogs & derivatives*
  • Heme / biosynthesis
  • Heme / chemistry
  • Heme / physiology
  • Humans
  • Mitochondria / enzymology
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Mutation, Missense
  • Protein Conformation

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Chlorophyll
  • heme a
  • Heme
  • chlorophyll b
  • Ferrochelatase