Structural highlights
FunctionHMOX2_HUMAN Heme oxygenase cleaves the heme ring at the alpha methene bridge to form biliverdin. Biliverdin is subsequently converted to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase. Under physiological conditions, the activity of heme oxygenase is highest in the spleen, where senescent erythrocytes are sequestrated and destroyed. Heme oxygenase 2 could be implicated in the production of carbon monoxide in brain where it could act as a neurotransmitter. Evolutionary Conservation Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf. Publication Abstract from PubMedHeme oxygenase (HO) catalyzes the first step in the heme degradation pathway. The crystal structures of apo- and heme-bound truncated human HO-2 reveal a primarily alpha-helical architecture similar to that of human HO-1 and other known HOs. Proper orientation of heme in HO-2 is required for the regioselective oxidation of the alpha-mesocarbon. This is accomplished by interactions within the heme binding pocket, which is made up of two helices. The iron coordinating residue, His(45), resides on the proximal helix. The distal helix contains highly conserved glycine residues that allow the helix to flex and interact with the bound heme. Tyr(154), Lys(199), and Arg(203) orient the heme through direct interactions with the heme propionates. The rearrangements of side chains in heme-bound HO-2 compared with apoHO-2 further elucidate HO-2 heme interactions. Comparison of apo- and heme-bound crystal structures of a truncated human heme oxygenase-2.,Bianchetti CM, Yi L, Ragsdale SW, Phillips GN Jr J Biol Chem. 2007 Dec 28;282(52):37624-31. Epub 2007 Oct 26. PMID:17965015[1] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. See AlsoReferences
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