Coproporphyrinogen III

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Coproporphyrinogen III is a key intermediate in the production of important biological molecules like heme (in blood) and chlorophyll (in plants). It is a colorless solid and belongs to a family of compounds called porphyrinogens, which have a ring-shaped core with different side groups.

In Coproporphyrinogen III, the outer ring has four methyl groups and four propionic acid groups. The order around the ring is three methyls in a row followed by a propionic acid group (MP-MP-MP-PM).

How it is made and used:
- It is formed from uroporphyrinogen III by the enzyme uroporphyrinogen III decarboxylase, which removes four carboxyl groups and converts them into methyl groups, releasing four carbon dioxide molecules.
- It is then acted on by the enzyme coproporphyrinogen III oxidase, which oxidizes and further removes carboxyl groups to become protoporphyrinogen IX, a later step in making heme and chlorophyll.

Quick facts:
- Chemical formula: C36H44N4O8
- Color: colorless solid