Iron tetrapyrroles

S. Cai, Ph.D. dissertation, Magnetic Resonance Investigations of Iron Tetrapyrrolic Macrocycles, University of Arizona, 2001. 

The clearest examples of thiol-binding centres are those in which the linkage is covalent. Attachment of the haem group to the cytochrome c protein occurs through two cysteine thiol residues . The sulphydryls add across the double bond of two vinylic side chains of the iron tetrapyrrole, providing thioether bridges between the protein and the prosthetic group. 

There are hundreds of iron-containing enzymes. In general, the iron can exist as (a) a mononuclear site, in which it is coordinated by a tetrapyrrole structure (hemes) or strictly by amino acid residues that donate oxo, nitrogen, or sulfur ligands (b) a dinuclear site in which the irons are bridged by oxo, nitrogen, or sulfur coordination (c) a trinuclear site as in the 3Fe-4S clusters or (d) a tetranuclear site as in the [4Fe-4S] clusters. 

When RBCs reach the end of their life span, the globin is degraded to amino acids (which are reutilized in the body), the iron is released from heme and also reutilized, and the tetrapyrrole component of heme is converted to bilirubin, which is mainly excreted into the bowel via the bile. 

Figure 16 X-Ray structure of the active site of cytochrome P450cam. In the camphor-bound form the bond distances are Fe-S 2.20 A Fe-N 2.05 A.33 The heme geometry of the camphor-free form is substantially similar to that of the camphor-bound form the only difference is that the iron atom is displaced from the tetrapyrrole plane towards the axial sulfur atom by 0.30 A in the camphor-free form, and by 0.44 A in the camphor-bound form...

Free haem groups are ferroporphyrins (cyclic tetrapyrroles). The first reaction of haem catabolism is the release of iron this is followed by the opening of the ring to produce a linear tetrapyrrole called biliverdin. A molecule of carbon monoxide is released as the ring opens. Biliverdin is converted to bilirubin by reduction. These initial reactions may occur in the liver or in other tissues of the reticuloendothelial system, notably the spleen. 

Heme, an iron-containing tetrapyrrole pigment, is a component of 02-binding proteins (see p. 106) and a coenzyme of various oxi-doreductases (see p. 32). Around 85% of heme biosynthesis occurs in the bone marrow, and a much smaller percentage is formed in the liver. Both mitochondria and cytoplasm are involved in heme synthesis. 

The tetrapyrrole structure of uroporphyrinogen III is still very different from that of heme. For example, the central iron atom is missing, and the ring contains only eight of the 11 double bonds. In addition, the ring system only carries charged R side chains (four acetate and four propionate residues). As heme groups have to act in the apolar interior of proteins, most of the polar side... 

Fig. 11.1 Relationship among catalytic intermediates of peroxidases. The formal oxidation state of each species is indicated by the numbers +2 to +6. The formal oxidation state of the species directly correlates with the relative energy content of the intermediates. The entry and exit of external electron donors/acceptors is indicated. In spite of its high oxidation state, Compound III is relative inert given the stability provided by the Fe(II) 02, Fe(III) 02 and Fe(IV) 022 resonance forms. Nevertheless, amino acid residues may rescue the free radical of Compound III, restore the iron atom ferric state, and allocate the free radical into a low redox potential site in the protein backbone. When the porphyrin performs as an electron donor, a different reaction occurs, resulting in tetrapyrrole bleaching and iron release...

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