Multiple regulatory steps in erythroid heme biosynthesis.

Current models for regulation of heme synthesis during erythropoiesis propose that the first enzyme of the pathway, 5-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS), is the rate-limiting enzyme. We have examined cellular porphyrin excretion in differentiating murine erythroleukemia cells to determine in situ rate-limiting steps in heme biosynthesis. The data demonstrate that low levels of coproporphyrin and protoporphyrin accumulate in the culture medium under normal growth conditions and that during erythroid differentiation the level of excretion of coproporphyrin increases approximately 100-fold. Iron supplementation lowered, but did not eliminate, porphyrin accumulation. While ALAS induction is necessary for increased heme synthesis, these data indicate that other enzymes, in particular coproporphyrinogen oxidase, represent down-stream rate-limiting steps.

Regulation of heme biosynthesis in Escherichia coli.

Escherichia coli is an organism that synthesizes 5-aminolevulinate (ALA), the first committed compound of the heme biosynthetic pathway, from glutamate (C-5 pathway) as opposed to glycine and succinyl CoA (C-4 pathway). While regulation of the C-4 pathway is generally acknowledged to occur at the level of formation of ALA, the mode of regulation of the C-5 pathway is currently unclear. Here we have examined one aspect of regulation of heme synthesis in E. coli: the role of the end product, heme, as a feed-back regulator of ALA production. By using plasmid-encoded ALA synthase and/or cytochrome b5 expressed in a wild type E. coli strain, it was possible to determine the role that the proposed regulatory heme pool plays in the regulation of ALA and heme production. Expression of rat-soluble cytochrome b5 results in an increase of cellular heme, indicating that the cell responds to this foreign "heme sink" by producing more heme even though the cytochrome does not participate directly in normal cellular regulation. Accumulation of pathway intermediates does not occur under these conditions. Expression of plasmid-encoded mouse ALA synthase results in increased cellular heme production as well as the accumulation of pathway intermediates either in the presence or absence of plasmid encoded cytochrome b5. These data support a regulatory scheme where the heme biosynthetic pathway in this C-5 organism is regulated at the level of ALA production in part by cellular heme content.

In situ conversion of coproporphyrinogen to heme by murine mitochondria: terminal steps of the heme biosynthetic pathway.

Coproporphyrinogen oxidase (EC 1.3.3.3), protoporphyrinogen oxidase (EC 1.3.3.4), and ferrochelatase (EC 4.99.1.1) catalyze the terminal three steps of the heme biosynthetic pathway. All three are either bound to or associated with the inner mitochondrial membrane in higher eukaryotic cells. A current model proposes that these three enzymes may participate in some form of multienzyme complex with attendant substrate channeling (Grand-champ, B., Phung, N., & Nordmann, Y., 1978, Biochem. J. 176, 97-102; Ferreira, G.C., et al., 1988, J. Biol. Chem. 263, 3835-3839). In the present study we have examined this question in isolated mouse mitochondria using two experimental approaches: one that samples substrate and product levels during a timed incubation, and a second that follows dilution of radiolabeled substrate by pathway intermediates. When isolated mouse mitochondria are incubated with coproporphyrinogen alone there is an accumulation of free protoporphyrin. When Zn is added as a substrate for the terminal enzyme, ferrochelatase, along with coproporphyrinogen, there is formation of Zn protoporphyrin with little accumulation of free protoporphyrin. When EDTA is added to this incubation mixture with Zn, Zn protoporphyrin formation is eliminated and protoporphyrin is formed. We have examined the fate of radiolabeled substrates in vitro to determine if exogenously supplied pathway intermediates can compete with the endogenously produced compounds. The data demonstrate that while coproporphyrinogen is efficiently converted to heme in vitro when the pathway is operating below maximal capacity, exogenous protoporphyrinogen can compete with endogenously formed protoporphyrinogen in heme production.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Multiple mechanisms for the regulation of haem synthesis during erythroid cell differentiation. Possible role for coproporphyrinogen oxidase.

Murine erythroleukaemia (MEL) cells are virus-transformed erythroid precursor cells that, when induced to differentiate by dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), will initiate haem biosynthesis by the induction and synthesis de novo of all of the enzymes of the haem-biosynthetic pathway. The activities of porphobilinogen (PBG) deaminase (EC 4.3.1.8), coproporphyrinogen oxidase (EC 1.3.3.3), protoporphyrinogen oxidase (EC 1.3.3.4), ferrochelatase (EC 4.99.1.1) and NADH:ferric iron reductase, as well as the synthesis of the enzyme ferrochelatase and the levels of excreted porphyrins, were monitored during DMSO-induced differentiation of MEL cells in culture. The data demonstrate that PBG deaminase and protoporphyrinogen oxidase activities rise rapidly and early, in comparison with ferrochelatase activity, which rises more slowly, and coproporphyrinogen oxidase activity, which decreases by 60% within 24 h of induction before returning to initial levels by 72 h. NADH:ferric iron reductase activity increases slightly, but is always present at levels higher than needed for haem synthesis. Total immunoprecipitable ferrochelatase also rises slowly and parallels the increase in its activity, suggesting that it is not synthesized early in a slowly processed precursor form. Examination of culture media demonstrated that, whereas excretion of protoporphyrin and coproporphyrin occurs within 24 h of induction, coproporphyrin is excreted in amounts 4-15 times greater than protoporphyrin.