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Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Measurement of Heme Synthesis Levels in Mammalian Cells
Published on: July 9, 2015
Do Mammalian Cells Really Need to Export and Import Heme?
Prem Ponka1, Alex D Sheftel2, Ann M English3
1Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada; Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3G 1Y6, Canada.
Abstract:
Heme is a cofactor that is essential to almost all forms of life. The production of heme is a balancing act between the generation of the requisite levels of the end-product and protection of the cell and/or organism against any toxic substrates, intermediates and, in this case, end-product. In this review, we provide an overview of our understanding of the formation and regulation of this metallocofactor and discuss new research on the cell biology of heme homeostasis, with a focus on putative transmembrane transporters now proposed to be important regulators of heme distribution. The main text is complemented by a discussion dedicated to the intricate chemistry and biochemistry of heme, which is often overlooked when new pathways of heme transport are conceived.
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