Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Submitted Successfully!
Thank you for your contribution! You can also upload a video entry or images related to this topic. For video creation, please contact our Academic Video Service.
Version Summary Created by Modification Content Size Created at Operation
1 Yu Peng -- 273 2026-10-25 14:21:31 |
2 delete taxonomy path Yu Peng -13 word(s) 260 2026-10-25 14:21:48 |

Video Upload Options

We provide professional Academic Video Service to translate complex research into visually appealing presentations. Would you like to try it?
Cite
If you have any further questions, please contact Encyclopedia Editorial Office.
Peng, Y. Hemoglobin Biosynthesis. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61463 (accessed on 12 November 2026).
Peng Y. Hemoglobin Biosynthesis. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61463. Accessed November 12, 2026.
Peng, Yu. "Hemoglobin Biosynthesis" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61463 (accessed November 12, 2026).
Peng, Y. (2026, October 25). Hemoglobin Biosynthesis. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61463
Peng, Yu. "Hemoglobin Biosynthesis." Encyclopedia. Web. 25 October, 2026.

Hemoglobin Biosynthesis

Edit

Hemoglobin biosynthesis denotes the coordinated cellular process by which erythroid precursor cells assemble the tetrameric oxygen-transport protein hemoglobin from its two constituent parts: the prosthetic group heme and the globin polypeptide chains. The process is defined by the convergence of two biosynthetic streams that must be stoichiometrically balanced to avoid the accumulation of unliganded, toxic intermediates [1]. Heme is synthesized de novo through an eight-enzyme pathway that, in developing erythroid cells, must support an enormous demand for the prosthetic group; this pathway spans the mitochondrial matrix and the cytoplasm, beginning with the condensation of glycine and succinyl-CoA by 5-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS) and concluding with the insertion of ferrous iron into protoporphyrin IX by ferrochelatase [2]. In parallel, the globin chains are synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes under the control of the erythroid transcriptional program, with the specific globin genes expressed—embryonic, fetal, or adult α- and β-type—depending on the developmental stage of the erythroid cell [3]. The defining feature of hemoglobin biosynthesis is the assembly phase, in which heme becomes associated with globin chains; this association has been proposed to occur co-translationally, with heme binding to the nascent α-globin chain as it emerges from the ribosome [4], and is facilitated by chaperone proteins such as alpha-hemoglobin stabilizing protein (AHSP) that maintain the globin chain in a soluble, assembly-competent state. The term encompasses the entire trajectory—from the enzymatic synthesis of heme and the regulated translation of globin mRNAs through the chaperone-assisted folding and tetramer assembly of the α₂β₂ hemoglobin molecule—as an integrated biosynthetic pathway unique to the erythroid lineage [5][6].

hemoglobin globin synthesis heme erythropoiesis
Help expand this entry Share your expertise by adding detailed content and references to improve this entry.
Add content

References

  1. Yelena Ginzburg; Xiuli An; Stefano Rivella; Adam Goldfarb; Normal and dysregulated crosstalk between iron metabolism and erythropoiesis. eLife 2023, 12, e90189. [CrossRef]
  2. Richard S. Ajioka; John D. Phillips; James P. Kushner; Biosynthesis of heme in mammals. Biochim. et Biophys. Acta (BBA) Mol. Cell Res. 2006, 1763, 723-736. [CrossRef]
  3. Ross C. Hardison; Mechanisms of Globin Gene Regulation in Mammals. Annu. Rev. Genet. 2025, 59, 341-367. [CrossRef]
  4. Anton A. Komar; Aigar Kommer; Igor A. Krasheninnikov; Alexander S. Spirin; Cotranslational Folding of Globin. J. Biol. Chem. 1997, 272, 10646-10651. [CrossRef]
  5. Todd L. Mollan; Xiang Yu; Mitchell J. Weiss; John S. Olson; The Role of Alpha-Hemoglobin Stabilizing Protein in Redox Chemistry, Denaturation, and Hemoglobin Assembly. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 2010, 12, 219-231. [CrossRef]
  6. Gayathri Vasudevan; Melisenda J. McDonald; Ordered Heme Binding Ensures the Assembly of Fully Functional Hemoglobin: A Hypothesis. Curr. Protein Pept. Sci. 2002, 3, 461-466. [CrossRef]
More
Upload a video for this entry
Information
Contributor MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register : Yu Peng
View Times: 15
Revisions: 2 times (View History)
Update Date: 25 Oct 2026
Notice
You are not a member of the advisory board for this topic. If you want to update advisory board member profile, please contact office@encyclopedia.pub.
OK
Confirm
Only members of the Encyclopedia advisory board for this topic are allowed to note entries. Would you like to become an advisory board member of the Encyclopedia?
Yes
No
${ textCharacter }/${ maxCharacter }
Submit
Cancel
There is no comment~
${ textCharacter }/${ maxCharacter }
Submit
Cancel
${ selectedItem.replyTextCharacter }/${ selectedItem.replyMaxCharacter }
Submit
Cancel
Confirm
Are you sure to Delete?
Yes No
Write an Entry