Uroporphyrinogens are cyclic
tetrapyrroles
Tetrapyrroles are a class of chemical compounds that contain four pyrrole or pyrrole-like rings. The pyrrole/pyrrole derivatives are linked by ( =- or -- units), in either a linear or a cyclic fashion. Pyrroles are a five-atom ring with four car ...
with four
propionic acid
Propionic acid (, from the Greek words πρῶτος : ''prōtos'', meaning "first", and πίων : ''píōn'', meaning "fat"; also known as propanoic acid) is a naturally occurring carboxylic acid with chemical formula CH3CH2CO2H. It is a liq ...
groups ("P" groups) and four
acetic acid
Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main component ...
groups ("A" groups).
There are four forms, which vary based upon the arrangements of the "P" and "A" groups (in clockwise order):
* In the "I" variety (i.e.
uroporphyrinogen I
Uroporphyrinogen I is an isomer of uroporphyrinogen III, a metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of heme. A type of porphyria is caused by production of uroporphyrinogen I instead of III.
Biosynthesis and metabolism
In living organisms, uro ...
), the order repeats four times: AP-AP-AP-AP.
* In the "III" variety (i.e.
uroporphyrinogen III
Uroporphyrinogen III is a tetrapyrrole, the first macrocyclic intermediate in the biosynthesis of heme, chlorophyll, vitamin B12, and siroheme. It is a colorless compound, like other porphyrinogens.
Structure
The molecular structure of uroporphyri ...
), the fourth is reversed: AP-AP-AP-PA.
*:This is the most common form. In the synthesis of
porphyrin
Porphyrins ( ) are a group of heterocyclic macrocycle organic compounds, composed of four modified pyrrole subunits interconnected at their α carbon atoms via methine bridges (=CH−). The parent of porphyrin is porphine, a rare chemical com ...
, it is created from the linear tetrapyrrole
hydroxymethylbilane
Hydroxymethylbilane, also known as preuroporphyrinogen, is an organic compound that occurs in living organisms during the synthesis of porphyrins, a group of critical substances that include haemoglobin, myoglobin, and chlorophyll. The name is ofte ...
by the enzyme
uroporphyrinogen III synthase
Uroporphyrinogen III synthase () is an enzyme involved in the metabolism of the cyclic tetrapyrrole compound porphyrin. It is involved in the conversion of hydroxymethyl bilane into uroporphyrinogen III. This enzyme catalyses the inversion of t ...
, and is further converted into
coproporphyrinogen III
Coproporphyrinogen III is a metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of many compounds that are critical for living organisms, such as hemoglobin and chlorophyll. It is a colorless solid.
The compound is a porphyrinogen, a class of compounds ch ...
by the enzyme
uroporphyrinogen III decarboxylase
Uroporphyrinogen III decarboxylase (uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, or UROD) is an enzyme () that in humans is encoded by the ''UROD'' gene.
Function
Uroporphyrinogen III decarboxylase is a homodimeric enzyme () that catalyzes the fifth step i ...
.
* The "II" and "IV" varieties can be created synthetically, but do not appear in nature.
External links
*
Biomolecules
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