Heme proteins are vital components of aerobic respiration and heme protein dysfunction leads to oxidative damage. Despite over eighty years of heme protein research, the fundamental role of the various porphyrin architectures observed in biology on the biochemical function of heme proteins remains poorly defined. We have eluciated the roles of the porphyrin substituents on heme a and proposed a rationale for the biosynthesis of heme a from the more prevalent heme b. We are currently working on delineating the role of the thioether linkages in cytochromes c and maintain the Heme Protein Database.

This research is funded by the American Heart Association.