Protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) is the porphyrin scaffold of heme b, a ubiquitous prosthetic group of proteins responsible for oxygen binding (hemoglobin, myoglobin), electron transfer (cytochrome c) and catalysis (cytochrome P450, catalases, peroxidases). PPIX and its metallated derivatives frequently find application as therapeutic agents, imaging tools, catalysts, sensors and in light harvesting. The vast toolkit of accessible porphyrin functionalization reactions enables easy synthetic modification of PPIX to meet the requirements for its multiple uses. In the past few years, particular interest has arisen in exploiting the interaction of PPIX and its synthetic derivatives with biomolecules such as DNA and heme‐binding proteins to evolve molecular devices with new functions as well as to uncover potential therapeutic toeholds. This review strives to shine a light on the most recent developments in the synthetic chemistry of PPIX and its uses in selected fields of chemical biology.

中文翻译：

---

生命的红色转变——原卟啉 IX 在化学生物学中的合成进展和新兴应用

原卟啉 IX (PPIX) 是血红素 b 的卟啉支架，血红素 b 是一种普遍存在的蛋白质假体组，负责氧结合（血红蛋白、肌红蛋白）、电子转移（细胞色素 c）和催化（细胞色素 P450、过氧化氢酶、过氧化物酶）。PPIX 及其金属化衍生物经常被用作治疗剂、成像工具、催化剂、传感器和光收集。庞大的卟啉功能化反应工具包可以轻松地对 PPIX 进行合成修饰，以满足其多种用途的要求。在过去几年中，利用 PPIX 及其合成衍生物与生物分子（如 DNA 和血红素结合蛋白）的相互作用来开发具有新功能的分子装置以及发现潜在的治疗立足点引起了特别的兴趣。