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Lead and the terminal mitochondrial enzymes of haem biosynthesis
Author(s) -
Rossi E.,
Taketani S.,
GarciaWebb P.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
biomedical chromatography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.4
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1099-0801
pISSN - 0269-3879
DOI - 10.1002/bmc.1130070102
Subject(s) - ferrochelatase , chemistry , biosynthesis , enzyme , biochemistry , heme , protoporphyrinogen oxidase , protoporphyrin , mitochondrion , oxidase test , zinc protoporphyrin , protoporphyrin ix , porphyrin , photodynamic therapy , organic chemistry
Lead exposure causes increases in urinary coproporphyrin excretion and the accumulation of zinc protoporphyrin in red cells. In the conventional view of the effect of lead on haem biosynthesis, the accumulation of these metabolites results from lead inhibition of two of the mitochondrial enzymes of haem biosynthesis, corproporphyrinogen oxidase (EC 1.3.3.3.) and ferrochelatase (EC 4.99.1.1). This review critically assesses the evidence for the inhibition of these enzymes. We consider this evidence to be inconclusive and alternative explanations for the increased concentrations of coproporphyrin and zinc protoporphyrin are proposed.