Heme Biosynthesis The work in the Medlock laboratory deals with the biosynthesis of heme and it regulation. Heme is an essential cofactor for almost all living organisms and participates in a variety of reactions including the regulation central metabolic processes, oxygen binding and transport and reduction/oxidation reactions. While a great deal is known in reference to heme synthesis, much less is known about the regulation of heme synthesis in different tissue or the intra- and intercellular trafficking of pathway substrates and products. The current studies in the Medlock laboratory utilize a mix of biochemical, cellular biology and in vivo studies to identify and characterize porphyrin and heme transporters and understand the spatial and temporal regulation of heme synthesis in eukaryotes. Revealing the complete picture of total body heme homeostasis is important in understanding the role of heme in organismal growth and development and may impact the treatment of diseases including anemias, porphyrias, cancers and infectious diseases.
