In mammals, heme is degraded to biliverdin by heme oxygenase (HO) and subsequently, the biliverdin is reduced to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase (BVR) . The metabolic waste product, bilirubin is now becoming recognized as having functional importance. It appears to play a key role in oxidative stress defense
in vivo. Thus, heme degradation pathway has seen renewed interest in its biosynthesis. Recently, the X-ray crystal structures of HO and BVR were determined. Based on the structures, new insights into the mechanism of the heme degradation and bilirubin synthesis are discussed.
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