NIH R01 · 2024
Heme synthesis, use and trafficking during erythropoiesis
Project summary/abstract. An adult makes 2.4 million red cells per second and production can increase 5-10-fold in response to anemia. Over 95% of red cell protein content is hemoglobin; each cell contains 270 million hemoglobin molecules; each with 4 heme moieties; yet free-heme is toxic and must be tightly regulated. As expected from these rapid kinetics, CFU-E/proerythroblasts are especially vulnerable to heme toxicity since this is when heme synthesis intensifies but globin expression is low. FLVCR is critical and functions as a safety valve, exporting excess heme. In prior studies, we demonstrated that mice lacking FLVCR develop profound macrocytic anemia. Similarities between the…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.