Abstract Six 10-nor-bilirubin analogs have been synthesized and investigated. Lacking the C (10) CH 2 group, these linear tetrapyrroles have a bipyrrole core rather than a dipyrrylmethane core and thus a different shape. Whereas the propionic acid groups of bilirubin are well engaged in intramolecular hydrogen bonding to the dipyrrinones, molecular modeling studies of the 10-nor-rubins predict that propionic acid chains are too ...
