HMOX2

Heme oxygenase, an essential enzyme in heme catabolism, cleaves heme to form biliverdin, which is subsequently converted to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase, and carbon monoxide, a putative neurotransmitter. Heme oxygenase activity is induced by its substrate heme and by various nonheme substances. Heme oxygenase occurs as 2 isozymes, an inducible heme oxygenase-1 and a constitutive heme oxygenase-2. HMOX1 and HMOX2 belong to the heme oxygenase family. Several alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding three different isoforms have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2013]

Heme Oxygenase 2

Heme oxygenase cleaves the heme ring at the alpha methene bridge to form biliverdin. Biliverdin is subsequently converted to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase. Under physiological conditions, the activity of heme oxygenase is highest in the spleen, where senescent erythrocytes are sequestrated and destroyed. Heme oxygenase 2 could be implicated in the production of carbon monoxide in brain where it could act as a neurotransmitter.

Heme catabolic process Source: GO_Central
Heme oxidation Source: GO_Central
Iron ion homeostasis Source: GO_Central
Response to hypoxia Source: UniProtKB
Response to oxidative stress Source: GO_Central

Microsome; Endoplasmic reticulum