Heme degradation by the microsomal heme oxygenase system

Abstract Heme degradation in the heme oxygenase reaction proceeds essentially as an autocatalytic oxidation of heme which is bound to heme oxygenase; in this reaction heme acts as both the substrate and the coenzyme which activates molecular oxygen. Synthesis of heme oxygenase can be induced by heme itself, in a substrate-mediated induction.