| Description | Protoporphyrinogen IX is an intermediate in heme biosynthesis. It is a porphyrinogen in which two pyrrole rings each have one methyl and one propionate side chain, and the other two pyrrole rings each have one methyl and one vinyl side chain. Fifteen isomers are possible but only one, type IX, occurs naturally. Protoporphyrinogen is produced by oxidative decarboxylation of coproporphyrinogen. Under certain conditions, protoporphyrinogen IX can act as a phototoxin, a neurotoxin, and a metabotoxin. A phototoxin leads to cell damage upon exposure to light. A neurotoxin causes damage to nerve cells and nerve tissues. A metabotoxin is an endogenously produced metabolite that causes adverse health effects at chronically high levels. Chronically high levels of porphyrins are associated with porphyrias such as porphyria variegate, acute intermittent porphyria, and hereditary coproporphyria (HCP). In particular, protoporphyrinogen IX is accumulated and excreted excessively in the feces in acute intermittent porphyria, protoporphyria, and variegate porphyria. There are several types of porphyrias (most are inherited). Hepatic porphyrias are characterized by acute neurological attacks (seizures, psychosis, extreme back and abdominal pain, and an acute polyneuropathy), while the erythropoietic forms present with skin problems (usually a light-sensitive blistering rash and increased hair growth). The neurotoxicity of porphyrins may be due to their selective interactions with tubulin, which disrupt microtubule formation and cause neural malformations (PMID: 3441503 ). |
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| IUPAC Name | 3-[20-(2-carboxyethyl)-9,14-diethenyl-5,10,15,19-tetramethyl-21,22,23,24-tetraazapentacyclo[16.2.1.1^{3,6}.1^{8,11}.1^{13,16}]tetracosa-1(20),3,5,8,10,13,15,18-octaen-4-yl]propanoic acid |
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| InChI Identifier | InChI=1S/C34H40N4O4/c1-7-21-17(3)25-13-26-19(5)23(9-11-33(39)40)31(37-26)16-32-24(10-12-34(41)42)20(6)28(38-32)15-30-22(8-2)18(4)27(36-30)14-29(21)35-25/h7-8,35-38H,1-2,9-16H2,3-6H3,(H,39,40)(H,41,42) |
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