Heme Channel Found

Washington University scientists have discovered how the vital but vulnerable heme molecules is shuttled across cell membranes

By Diana Lutz


Resource for Biocomputing, Visualization, and Informatics at the University of California, San Francisco
The cytochrome c protein (colored ribbons), holds in its embrace a heme group (white honeycomb) that in turn clasps an iron atom (orange ball). This molecule is essential to life and any chemical that interferes with its activity is lethal.
In some ways a cell in your body or an organelle in that cell is like an ancient walled town. Life inside either depends critically on the intelligence of the gatekeepers.


If too many barbarians sneak into town, the town may be put to the torch. And if the cellular gatekeepers can't control the flow of ions and molecules into and out of the cell, the cell may die.

Because of their importance, cellular gates, channels and transporters, are the targets of intense scientific interest.

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