A hemeprotein (or hemoprotein or haemoprotein), or heme protein, is a metalloprotein containing a heme prosthetic group, either covalently or noncovalently bound to the protein itself. The iron in the heme is capable of undergoing oxidation and reduction (usually to +2 and +3, though stabilized ferryl [Fe+4] compounds are well known in the peroxidases).
Roles
Hemoproteins have diverse biological functions including:
- Oxygen transport
o hemoglobin
o hemocyanin
o myoglobin
o neuroglobin
o cytoglobin
o leghemoglobin
- Catalysis
o peroxidases
o cytochrome c oxidase
o ligninases
- Active membrane transport
o cytochromes
- Electron transfer
o cytochrome c
o catalase
- Sensory
o FixL (Oxygen sensor)
o sGC (Nitric Oxide sensor)
o CooA (CO sensor)
- Defence
o vanabin
