Detection of an exon 10–ferrochelatase protein and decreased ferrochelatase activity heterozygous mice.

(A) Immunoblot analysis was used to determine ferrochelatase levels in liver mitochondrial extracts using an antirecombinant human ferrochelatase antibody that cross-reacts with mouse ferrochelatase. A 10% SDS-PAGE gel was used to separate the wild-type (+/+) ferrochelatase from the exon 10–deleted (+/−) ferrochelatase. (B) Liver mitochondrial ferrochelatase activities were determined by measuring the chelation rate of zinc and mesoporphyrin. The genotypes and number of mice represented in the graph are indicated below the x-axis. Average activities (cross-bars) and SEs (vertical lines) are indicated (SEM for +/+ = 9.6 and +/−= 8.8; P < .001). Units of activity are expressed as picomoles zinc-mesoporphyrin per milligram protein per hour.