Enzymological and structural characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana heme oxygenase-1

Arabidopsis thaliana heme oxygenase-1 (AtHO-1), a metabolic enzyme in the heme degradation pathway, serves as a prototype for study of the bilin-related functions in plants. Past biological analyses revealed that AtHO-1 requires ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase (FNR) and ferredoxin for its enzymatic activity. Here, we characterized the binding and degradation of heme by AtHO-1, and found that ferredoxin is a dispensable component of the reducing system that provides electrons for heme oxidation. Furthermore, we reported the crystal structure of heme-bound AtHO-1, which demonstrates both conserved and previously undescribed features of plant heme oxygenases. Finally, the electron transfer pathway from FNR to AtHO-1 is suggested based on the known structural information.