HEME OXYGENASE: ENZYME WITH FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY

Abstract

In recent years role of Heme oxygenase (HO) has been considered in nearly all living system including plants, animals and other organisms. The common role of heme oxygenase is the degradation of heme, although there is a diversity of additional role of HO in organisms including iron acquisition, cellular signaling, defense against stress and biosynthesis during metabolism. Likewise, the function of HO is to provide cofactors for the photosynthetic apparatus in cyanobacteria. Heme concentration is variable in different plant species and found maximum in leguminous plant root nodules. Moreover HO has diverse isoforms in plant and animal systems. The review addressed important function of HO and focused on its functional diversity.

Keywords

• heme oxygenase
• degradation of heme
• antioxidant complex