HMOX1 Gene

Name	heme oxygenase 1
Description	Heme oxygenase, an essential enzyme in heme catabolism, cleaves heme to form biliverdin, which is subsequently converted to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase, and carbon monoxide, a putative neurotransmitter. Heme oxygenase activity is induced by its substrate heme and by various nonheme substances. Heme oxygenase occurs as 2 isozymes, an inducible heme oxygenase-1 and a constitutive heme oxygenase-2. HMOX1 and HMOX2 belong to the heme oxygenase family. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
Summary	{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n HMOX1 encodes heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1), a highly inducible enzyme that degrades pro‐oxidant heme into carbon monoxide (CO), biliverdin (subsequently converted to bilirubin), and free iron. This reaction not only detoxifies heme but also generates bioactive molecules that mediate potent anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and cytoprotective effects. For instance, in macrophages HO‐1 is upregulated in response to interleukin‑10 signaling, and its enzymatic products—particularly CO—are key effectors in suppressing proinflammatory cytokine production (see."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In the kidney, delivery of an Ngal–siderophore–Fe complex induces HO‐1 expression, thereby preserving tubular architecture and inhibiting cell death, which underscores its renoprotective role (see."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "2"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Similarly, in cardiomyocytes, HO‐1 induction is a central component of protective preconditioning responses that enhance mitochondrial biogenesis and attenuate apoptotic signaling during ischemia–reperfusion injury (see"}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "3"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "and."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "4"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n The regulation of HO‐1 expression is tightly controlled by stress‐responsive transcription factors. Under basal conditions, the transcriptional repressor Bach1 binds to regulatory regions of the HO‐1 gene; however, heme binds to Bach1 and relieves its repressor activity, allowing Nrf2 to drive HO‐1 expression and thereby establish a feedback loop that maintains redox homeostasis (see."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "5"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In addition, the enzymatic activity of HO‐1 can limit cytotoxicity by reducing free heme levels and preventing the oxidation of low‐density lipoproteins—a process implicated in vascular injury (see."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "6"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Equally, HO‐1 functions as an adaptive defense enzyme against diverse oxidative insults in multiple tissues (see."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "7"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Beyond its protective roles in inflammation, cardiovascular, and renal disorders, HO‐1 is also implicated in the modulation of immune and infectious processes. Upregulation of HO‐1 has been shown to preserve blood–brain barrier integrity and prevent neuroinflammation in cerebral malaria (see"}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "8"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ", while its antioxidant properties contribute to favorable macrophage responses in atherosclerosis (see."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "9"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n In contrast, in certain oncologic contexts, HO‐1‐mediated release of iron may facilitate lipid peroxidation and promote ferroptotic cell death, highlighting a dual role in cell survival and death that is context‐dependent (see."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "10"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Collectively, HO‐1 serves as a crucial effector in a network of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways, with its dynamic regulation offering promising therapeutic avenues across a range of clinical disorders.\n "}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Tzong-Shyuan Lee, Lee-Young Chau "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Heme oxygenase-1 mediates the anti-inflammatory effect of interleukin-10 in mice."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nat Med (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/nm0302-240"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0302-240"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "11875494"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11875494"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Kiyoshi Mori, H Thomas Lee, Dana Rapoport, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Endocytic delivery of lipocalin-siderophore-iron complex rescues the kidney from ischemia-reperfusion injury."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Clin Invest (2005)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1172/JCI23056"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI23056"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "15711640"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15711640"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "John W Calvert, Saurabh Jha, Susheel Gundewar, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Hydrogen sulfide mediates cardioprotection through Nrf2 signaling."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Circ Res (2009)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.109.199919"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.109.199919"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "19608979"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19608979"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 4, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Claude A Piantadosi, Martha Sue Carraway, Abdelwahid Babiker, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Heme oxygenase-1 regulates cardiac mitochondrial biogenesis via Nrf2-mediated transcriptional control of nuclear respiratory factor-1."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Circ Res (2008)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1161/01.RES.0000338597.71702.ad"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1161/01.RES.0000338597.71702.ad"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "18845810"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18845810"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 5, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Jiying Sun, Hideto Hoshino, Kazuaki Takaku, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Hemoprotein Bach1 regulates enhancer availability of heme oxygenase-1 gene."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "EMBO J (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1093/emboj/cdf516"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1093/emboj/cdf516"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12356737"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12356737"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 6, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Viktória Jeney, József Balla, Akihiro Yachie, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Pro-oxidant and cytotoxic effects of circulating heme."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Blood (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1182/blood.v100.3.879"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.v100.3.879"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12130498"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12130498"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 7, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Danielle Morse, Augustine M K Choi "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Heme oxygenase-1: the \"emerging molecule\" has arrived."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1165/ajrcmb.27.1.4862"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1165/ajrcmb.27.1.4862"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12091240"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12091240"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 8, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ana Pamplona, Ana Ferreira, József Balla, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Heme oxygenase-1 and carbon monoxide suppress the pathogenesis of experimental cerebral malaria."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nat Med (2007)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/nm1586"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1586"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "17496899"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17496899"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 9, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Tetsuro Ishii, Ken Itoh, Emilio Ruiz, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Role of Nrf2 in the regulation of CD36 and stress protein expression in murine macrophages: activation by oxidatively modified LDL and 4-hydroxynonenal."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Circ Res (2004)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1161/01.RES.0000119171.44657.45"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1161/01.RES.0000119171.44657.45"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "14752028"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14752028"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 10, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Min-Young Kwon, Eunhee Park, Seon-Jin Lee, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Heme oxygenase-1 accelerates erastin-induced ferroptotic cell death."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Oncotarget (2015)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.18632/oncotarget.5162"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.5162"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "26405158"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26405158"}]}]}]}
Synonyms	BK286B10, HO-1, HMOX1D, HSP32
Proteins	HMOX1_HUMAN
NCBI Gene ID	3162
API
Download Associations
Predicted Functions
Co-expressed Genes
Expression in Tissues and Cell Lines

Functional Associations

HMOX1 has 28,886 functional associations with biological entities spanning 8 categories (molecular profile, organism, functional term, phrase or reference, disease, phenotype or trait, chemical, structural feature, cell line, cell type or tissue, gene, protein or microRNA) extracted from 136 datasets.

Click the + buttons to view associations for HMOX1 from the datasets below.

If available, associations are ranked by standardized value

Harmonizome 3.0

HMOX1 Gene

Functional Associations

Please acknowledge the Harmonizome in your publications by citing the following reference(s):

	Dataset	Summary
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of HMOX1 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of HMOX1 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles	tissue samples with high or low expression of HMOX1 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray	tissue samples with high or low expression of HMOX1 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by RNA-seq	tissue samples with high or low expression of HMOX1 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by RNA-seq dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of HMOX1 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Biocarta Pathways	pathways involving HMOX1 protein from the Biocarta Pathways dataset.
	BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of HMOX1 gene relative to other cell lines from the BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of HMOX1 gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of HMOX1 gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of HMOX1 gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of HMOX1 gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Proteomics	Cell lines associated with HMOX1 protein from the CCLE Cell Line Proteomics dataset.
	CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations	cell types associated with HMOX1 gene from the CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of HMOX1 gene from the CHEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of HMOX1 gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022	transcription factors binding the promoter of HMOX1 gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022 dataset.
	ClinVar Gene-Phenotype Associations 2025	phenotypes associated with HMOX1 gene from the curated ClinVar Gene-Phenotype Associations 2025 dataset.
	CM4AI U2OS Cell Map Protein Localization Assemblies	assemblies containing HMOX1 protein from integrated AP-MS and IF data from the CM4AI U2OS Cell Map Protein Localization Assemblies dataset.
	CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules	small molecule perturbations changing expression of HMOX1 gene from the CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components containing HMOX1 protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components containing HMOX1 protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Experimental Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components containing HMOX1 protein in low- or high-throughput protein localization assays from the COMPARTMENTS Experimental Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Experimental Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components containing HMOX1 protein in low- or high-throughput protein localization assays from the COMPARTMENTS Experimental Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components co-occuring with HMOX1 protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components co-occuring with HMOX1 protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of HMOX1 gene relative to other cell lines from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles	cell lines with HMOX1 gene mutations from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles dataset.
	CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions	chemicals interacting with HMOX1 gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions dataset.
	CTD Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with HMOX1 gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DeepCoverMOA Drug Mechanisms of Action	small molecule perturbations with high or low expression of HMOX1 protein relative to other small molecule perturbations from the DeepCoverMOA Drug Mechanisms of Action dataset.
	DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency	cell lines with fitness changed by HMOX1 gene knockdown relative to other cell lines from the DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency dataset.
	DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025	diseases associated with HMOX1 gene in GWAS datasets from the DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores	diseases co-occuring with HMOX1 gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025	diseases co-occuring with HMOX1 gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with HMOX1 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Phenotype Associations	phenotypes associated with HMOX1 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Phenoptype Associations dataset.
	DrugBank Drug Targets	interacting drugs for HMOX1 protein from the curated DrugBank Drug Targets dataset.
	ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles	histone modification site profiles with high histone modification abundance at HMOX1 gene from the ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of HMOX1 gene from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.