Purine

Metabolism

Many organisms have metabolic pathways to synthesize and break down purines.

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Purines are biologically synthesized as nucleotides (bases attached to ribose). Both adenine and guanine are derived from the nucleotide inosine monophosphate, which is synthesized on a pre-existing ribose through a complex pathway using atoms from the amino acids glycine, glutamine, and aspartic acid, as well as formate ions transferred from the coenzyme tetrahydrofolate.

Related Topics:
Nucleotide - Ribose - Inosine - Glycine - Glutamine - Aspartic acid - Formate - Coenzyme - Tetrahydrofolate

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Purines from food (or from tissue turnover) are metabolized by several enzymes, including xanthine oxidase, into uric acid. High levels of uric acid can predispose to gout when the acid crystalizes in joints; this phenomenon only happens in humans and some animal species (e.g. dogs) that lack an intrinsic urease enzyme that can further degrade uric acid. The deficiency of another enzyme, adenosine deaminase, needed to break down adenine, is a cause of severe combined immunodeficiency.

Related Topics:
Enzyme - Xanthine oxidase - Gout - Urease - Adenosine deaminase - Severe combined immunodeficiency

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Purines from turnover of nucleic acids (or from food) can also be salvaged and reused in new nucleotides. The enzyme adenine phosphoribosyltransferase salvages adenine, while hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) salvages guanine and hypoxanthine. Genetic deficiency of HPRT causes Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.

Related Topics:
Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase - Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase - Lesch-Nyhan syndrome

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