Function

Ferrochelatase (FECH) catalyzes the last step in the formation of heme. FECH adds Fe+2 to protoporphyrin IX converting it to protoheme. The human FECH is a homodimer containing 2 similar domains and an iron-sulfur cluster. Sirohydrochlorin ferrochelatase (SirB) catalyzes the addition of Fe+2 to sirohydrochlorin to produce siroheme.

Disease

Defective FECH is the cause of erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), an inherited disorder of heme synthesis [1].


Bacterial ferrochelatase turns human: Tyr13 determines the apparent metal specificity of Bacillus subtilis ferrochelatase [2]

Ferrochelatase produces . It can also . However, the ability to insert other . In this way Bacillus subtilis ferrochelatase can insert copper into protoporphyrin IX, but to a much less extent cobalt. In contrast, the human and Saccharomyces cerevisiae ferrochelatases prefer cobalt over copper. shows that , while A third residue, Tyr in B. subtilis, is a third ligand via a water molecule. Human and S. cerevisiae ferrochelatase utilizes In the structures of the ferrochelatases the Tyr/Met occupies the same position. We also know that the Tyr residue of the is a . By site directed mutagenesis and showed that the metal specificity changed so that the modified B. subtilis ferrochelatase . Two crystal structures are presented. how . The how a in the B. subtilis enzyme.

3D structures of ferrochelatase

Ferrochelatase 3D structures


Ferrochelatase with methylmesoporphyrin and Mg+2 ion (PDB code 1c1h)

Drag the structure with the mouse to rotate

ReferencesReferences

  1. Chen FP, Risheg H, Liu Y, Bloomer J. Ferrochelatase gene mutations in erythropoietic protoporphyria: focus on liver disease. Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 2002 Feb;48(1):83-9. PMID:11929052
  2. Hansson MD, Karlberg T, Soderberg CA, Rajan S, Warren MJ, Al-Karadaghi S, Rigby SE, Hansson M. Bacterial ferrochelatase turns human: Tyr13 determines the apparent metal specificity of Bacillus subtilis ferrochelatase. J Biol Inorg Chem. 2010 Nov 4. PMID:21052751 doi:10.1007/s00775-010-0720-4

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