A new technique for tracking the blood enzyme haem oxygenase 1

Development of a fluorescent reporter probe for enzyme-activity of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1)

Haem is an important molecule in our blood that carries oxygen and gives blood its red colour. The amount of haem in the body is maintained by an enzyme called haem oxygenase 1 (HO-1). HO-1 breaks down bruises by converting the blood into harmless molecules so that it can be removed. HO-1 has also been shown to have other important roles in maintaining blood vessel health. For example levels of the enzyme increase when vessels are exposed to potentially damaging substances and conditions such as cigarette smoke or high cholesterol. Once activated, HO-1 is thought to protect blood vessels from developing fatty deposits (atherosclerosis) which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Yet, despite its important role in circulatory health, there is no way to directly measure the enzyme’s activity. In this project, Dr Joseph Boyle aims to develop a probe that shows when HO-1 is switched on. After synthesising different potential probes, he will test their function on purified enzyme, on cells grown in the lab and finally on stored samples taken from mice with haematoma (a collection of blood outside the vessels) or atherosclerosis. If successful, the chemical probe will be useful to other researchers and help developments in the field of blood vessel biology.