Porphobilinogen deaminase（HMBS) belongs to the hydroxymethylbilane synthase superfamily. HMBS is a cytoplasmic enzyme found in the heme synthesis pathway. HMBS is the 3rd enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway and catalyzes the head to tail condensation of 4 porphobilinogen molecules into the linear hydroxymethylbilane. HMBS gene mutations cause errors in pyrrole metabolism which in turn lead to the autosomal dominant disease acute intermittent porphyria.
