Hyperuricemia and urate nephropathy in urate oxidase-deficient mice.

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.91.2.742
• Publication Date: 2006-05-31T12:56:02Z
• Authors: X Wu; M Wakamiya; S Vaishnav; R Geske; C Montgomery; P Jones; A Bradley; C T Caskey
• Keywords: Urate Oxidase; Allantoin

Urate oxidase, or uricase (EC 1.7.3.3), is a purine metabolic enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of uric acid to allantoin in most mammals except humans and certain other primates. The loss urate oxidase human during primate evolution predisposes man hyperuricemia, disturbance can lead gouty arthritis renal stones. To create mouse model for hyperuricemia gout, address question whether essential lower mammalian species, we have disrupted gene by homologous recombination embryonic stem cells. Unlike situation, deficiency mice causes pronounced nephropathy. More than half mutant died before 4 weeks age, indicating mice. These may also serve as animal models its related nephropathy humans.