The role of haem in the regulation of rat liver tryptophan metabolism.

At saturating concentrations of tryptophan, the activity of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase was the same in isolated liver cells and in extracts with added haematin. Intraperitoneal injection of haematin did not increase tryptophan oxidation in livers subsequently perfused in situ. Preincubation of liver cells with physiological concentrations of tryptophan caused maximal saturation of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase with haem in liver cells. In cell-free extracts tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase exhibited complex kinetics with haem. The results have important implications for the understanding of the role of haem in tryptophan metabolism.