Title: Uricase
CAS Registry Number: 9002-12-4
CAS Name: Urate oxidase
Synonyms: uric oxidase; urico-oxidase; uriKoxidase
Literature References: An enzyme responsible for the oxidative scission of the purine skeleton, and therefore of key importance to the catabolism of nitrogenous compds in general in organisms that do not eliminate intact uric acid or some other purine. All mammals except the primates (including man) are uricolytic organisms. Porcine liver or bovine kidney is the starting material for various purified prepns of uricase. Isoln from porcine liver: Holmberg,
Biochem. J. 33, 1901 (1939); Miller
et al., J. Biol. Chem. 216, 625 (1955); Robbins, Grant,
US 2878161 (1959 to Armour).
Review: Mahler, "Uricase" in
The Enzymes vol. 8, P. D. Boyer
et al., Eds. (Academic Press, New York, 1963) pp 285-296.
Properties: Pale, brownish-green crystals or shiny, transparent, striated plates. Practically insol in water. Slightly sol in buffered alkali solns. Solns at pH 7.5-10.5 are relatively stable. Shows unusually high absorption in the region of 330-350 nm (for highly purified uricase: A1%276 = 11.3, A1%330 = 2.0, both in 1% Na2CO3; A280/A330 = 5.6). Isoelec. pt. pH 6.3. Copper content of the enzyme (specific activity 120-125) equals ~0.56 mg/g of enzyme protein. There appears to be a satisfactory correlation between copper content and activity of the purified enzyme. The enzyme is sensitive to cyanide ion; the presence of 10-4
M KCN inhibits its activity.
Use: In the determination of serum and urine uric acid.
