Urate oxidase: primary structure and evolutionary implications.

Urate oxidase: primary structure and evolutionary implications.

Urate oxidase, or uricase (EC 1.7.3.3), is a peroxisomal enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of uric acid to allantoin in most mammals. In humans and certain other primates, however, the enzyme has been lost by some unknown mechanism. To identify the molecular basis for this loss, urate oxidase cDNA clones were isolated from pig, mouse, and baboon, and their DNA sequences were determined. The m...

Loss of urate oxidase activity in hominoids and its evolutionary implications.

We have determined and compared the promoter, coding, and intronic sequences of the urate oxidase (Uox) gene of various primate species. Although we confirm the previous observation that the inactivation of the gene in the clade of the human and the great apes results from a single CGA to TGA nonsense mutation in exon 2, we find that the inactivation in the gibbon lineage results from an indepe...

optimization of bacterial urate oxidase enzyme activity

Catalysis and Structure of Zebrafish Urate Oxidase Provide Insights into the Origin of Hyperuricemia in Hominoids

Urate oxidase (Uox) catalyses the first reaction of oxidative uricolysis, a three-step enzymatic pathway that allows some animals to eliminate purine nitrogen through a water-soluble compound. Inactivation of the pathway in hominoids leads to elevated levels of sparingly soluble urate and puts humans at risk of hyperuricemia and gout. The uricolytic activities lost during evolution can be repla...

Effects of Recombinant Urate Oxidase (Rasburicase) and Allopurinol for Prophylaxis and Treatment of Hyperuricemia in Patients with Leukemia and Lymphoma

Background: Efficacy of rasburicase in pediatric patients with leukemia and lymphoma is proved. This study aims toweigh efficacy and safety of rasburicase versus more conventional therapy, allopurinol, and to compare their safetyand properties in tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) of leukemia and lymphoma patients.Materials and Methods: The study was done with a retrospective cohort design. Patients we...