Sandbox Reserved 1452: Difference between revisions
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Uricase is a hepatic enzyme meaning it is located in the liver and converts uric acid into allantoin. Allantoin is more efficiently excreted by the kidney because of how water soluble it is. However, in humans, a frameshift mutation during evolution affected the activity of the gene that encodes for uricase. | Uricase is a hepatic enzyme meaning it is located in the liver and converts uric acid into allantoin. Allantoin is more efficiently excreted by the kidney because of how water soluble it is. However, in humans, a frameshift mutation during evolution affected the activity of the gene that encodes for uricase. | ||
== Function == | == Function == | ||
It is an enzyme that converts uric acid to allantoin. Allantoin is much more soluble than uric acid, and passes harmlessly from the body. Unfortunately, during evolution, humans have lost the ability to produce uricase. The detailed mechanism consists or this copper binding enzyme catalyzing the oxidation or uric acid to | It is an enzyme that converts uric acid to allantoin. Allantoin is much more soluble than uric acid, and passes harmlessly from the body. Unfortunately, during evolution, humans have lost the ability to produce uricase. The detailed mechanism consists or this copper binding enzyme catalyzing the oxidation or uric acid to 5-hydroxyisourate and hydrogen peroxide followed by the hydrolysis and decarboxylation leading to the formation of the desired product, allantoin. Allantoin is significantly more water soluble than uric acid and easily excreted in urine. | ||
== Disease == | == Disease == | ||
If there is some damage to uricase or if it is absent in the body, it may be detrimental. Without functioning uricase, there will be an excess amount of insoluble uric acid in the body which leads to a disease called gout. Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops in people who have high levels of uric acid in the blood. The acid forms needle-like crystals in joints and causes sudden, severe episodes of pain, redness, and swelling. | If there is some damage to uricase or if it is absent in the body, it may be detrimental. Without functioning uricase, there will be an excess amount of insoluble uric acid in the body which leads to a disease called gout. Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops in people who have high levels of uric acid in the blood. The acid forms needle-like crystals in joints and causes sudden, severe episodes of pain, redness, and swelling. | ||
