Article
Characterization of the complete uric acid degradation pathway in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans.
PloS one - 1 Jan 2013
Lee I Russel, Yang Liting, Sebetso Gaseene, Allen Rebecca, Doan Thi H N, Blundell Ross, Lui Edmund Y L, Morrow Carl A, Fraser James A
Abstract excerpt
Degradation of purines to uric acid is generally conserved among organisms, however, the end product of uric acid degradation varies from species to species depending on the presence of active catabolic enzymes. In humans, most higher primates and birds, the urate oxidase gene is non-functional and hence uric acid is not further broken down. Uric acid in human blood plasma serves as an antioxidant and an immune...
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