Hydroxymethylbilane, also known as preuroporphyrinogen, is an organic compound that occurs in living organisms during the synthesis of porphyrins, a group of critical substances that include haemoglobin, myoglobin, and chlorophyll. The name is often abbreviated as HMB.
Structure
The compound is a substituted bilane, a chain of four pyrrole rings interconnected by methylene bridges−CH2−. The chain starts with a hydroxymethyl group −CH2−OH and ends with an hydrogen, in place of the respective methylene bridges. The other two carbon atoms of each pyrrole cycle are connected to an acetic acid group −CH2−COOH and a propionic acid group −CH2−CH2−COOH, in that order.[1]