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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Nov 15.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2013 Mar;22(2):10.1097/MNH.0b013e32835d19f7. doi: 10.1097/MNH.0b013e32835d19f7

FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 1

Degradation of heme-containing proteins leads to the release of free heme, a pro-oxidant molecule. In order to clear the potentially damaging molecule, heme oxygenase (HO) converts free heme to biliverdin, releasing free iron and carbon monoxide in the process. The biliverdin is then rapidly converted to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase (BVR). Biliverdin/bilirubin, elemental iron, and carbon monoxide all have important biological functions, making the activity of heme oxygenase an intriguing regulator of cellular and vascular function.