title: Measurement of ferrochelatase activity.
abstract: Ferrochelatase is the terminal enzyme in the heme biosynthesis pathway. Under anaerobic conditions it catalyzes the insertion of ferrous iron into the protoporphyrin IX ring to form protoheme. In the absence of iron and under aerobic conditions, the enzyme will use zinc or mercury as a substitute. The assay described in this unit uses zinc under aerobic conditions and the artificial substrate mesoporphyrin to analyze the formation of zinc-mesoporphyrin by HPLC with UV or fluorescence detection.
authors.affiliation: Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taketani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D057075:Enzyme Assays; D005294:Ferrochelatase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008652:Mesoporphyrins / Q000378:metabolism; D008665:Metalloporphyrins / Q000378:metabolism; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013053:Spectrophotometry
chemical_list: D008652:Mesoporphyrins; D008665:Metalloporphyrins; C084061:cobalt mesoporphyrin; C031468:mesoporphyrin IX; C058069:zinc mesoporphyrin; D005294:Ferrochelatase