Abstract
Several proteins are able to bind porphyrins, but because of their function few are interacting specifically. These few proteins are enzymes in the heme biosynthetic pathway and proteins like the so-called Z-protein in the liver. The first enzyme in that pathway that binds a porphyrin-like molecule is uroporphyrinogen synthetase. This enzyme and the enzymes catalyzing the next steps, uroporphyrinogen cosynthetase and uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase are located in the cytoplasm. The last enzymes, coproporphyrinogen oxidase, protoporphyrinogen oxidase and ferrochelatase are located in the mitochondria. Only these last two enzymes are proteins that bind porphyrins. Little is known of the porphyrin binding properties of these enzymes. The Michaelis Menten constants for various porphyrin(ogen)s are summarized in table I.
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