Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “GLUCURONIC ACID”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,153 records · Page 64Linked to original sources

Glucuronidation of hyodeoxycholic acid in human liver. Evidence for a selective role of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B4.

Monospecific polyclonal antibodies were raised against a variable amino-terminal domain (amino acids 14-150) of a human liver form of UDP-glucuronosyl-transferase conjugating bile acids, UGT2B4 (Jackson, M. R., McCarthy, L. R., Harding, D., Wilson, S., Coughtrie, M. W., and Burchell, B. (1987) Biochem. J. 242, 581-588), expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The antibodies were able to recognize the protein, stably expressed in a genetically engineered eukaryotic V79 cell line, against which they were directed. The specificity of these antibodies allowed their use for analyzing the substrate specificity of this isoform in human liver, as well as for determining its contribution to the total hepatic and extra-hepatic glucuronidation of hyodeoxycholic acid. Western blot analysis of microsomal proteins demonstrated the presence of UGT2B4 exclusively in human liver and not in human kidney. In human liver microsomes, the antibodies were able to inhibit and precipitate up to 90% of the total hyodeoxycholic acid 6-O-glucuronidation activity, but had no effect on activities toward several other substrates, such as phenols, bilirubin, or other bile acids, especially hyocholic acid and the steroids 4-hydroxyesterone and estriol. Moreover, Western blot analysis and immunoinhibition studies of human liver microsomes from healthy patients and from patients presenting liver diseases revealed a good correlation between the glucuronidation rate of hyodeoxycholic acid and the UGT2B4 expression level. The absence of immunoinhibition of hyodeoxycholic acid conjugation with UDP sugars other than UDP-glucuronic acid suggests the involvement of different enzymatic systems in the glucosidation and xylosylation of hyodeoxycholic acid. Altogether, the results provided strong evidence for the specific and predominant involvement of UGT2B4 in the 6-O-glucuronidation of this bile acid via a UDP-glucuronic acid-dependent mechanism.

Animals↗

Exopolysaccharide colanic acid and its occurrence in the Enterobacteriaceae.

A study of strains from the genera Salmonella, Escherichia, and Aerobacter has shown that under appropriate conditions many strains produce an exopolysaccharide slime of identical composition, which has been identified as colanic acid on the basis of its chemical composition and its sensitivity to certain bacteriophage-induced depolymerase enzymes. Chemical analysis shows that the polysaccharide contains O-acetyl groups in addition to the sugars glucose, galactose, fucose, and glucuronic acid. Mild acid hydrolysis has led to the isolation of a beta-glucosylfucose in addition to glucuronic acid containing oligosaccharides. Many strains were found to synthesize colanic acid under normal conditions of growth or under conditions favoring polysaccharide synthesis, whereas others only synthesized colanic acid when the control mechanism was derepressed by p-fluorophenylalanine.

Bacteriophages↗

Synthesis and biological activity of beta-glucuronyl carbamate-based prodrugs of paclitaxel as potential candidates for ADEPT.

The syntheses of prodrugs of paclitaxel, which can be used in ADEPT in order to target paclitaxel towards tumor cells, are described. The prodrugs 1 and 2a, b consist of a spacer molecule connected via a carbamate linkage to a beta-glucuronic acid. The spacer molecule is also connected via an ester linkage to the 2'-OH of paclitaxel. Enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of the glucuronic acid moiety by human beta-glucuronidase results in the liberation of the parent drug paclitaxel via gamma or delta lactam formation with half-lives of 45 min and 2 h (1 and 2b). The prodrugs 1 and 2b are two orders of magnitude less cytotoxic than paclitaxel.

Antibodies↗

Enzymatic glucuronidation of a novel cholesterol absorption inhibitor, Sch 58235.

A glucuronide of a novel cholesterol absorption inhibitor was synthesized on a 200-mg scale in one step via bovine liver glucuronyltransferase-catalyzed coupling of the glucuronyl moiety of UDP-glucuronic acid with the phenolic hydroxyl of Sch 58235. It was shown that the product yield is limited by the hydrolysis of UDP-glucuronic acid by impurities present in the commercial microsomal preparation of the transferase. This detrimental effect of UDPGluA hydrolysis could be diminished by the presence of high concentration of glucuronlytransferase. Optimization of reaction conditions and purification procedure resulted in a process that proceeded with 95% conversion and 88% isolated product yield. The 13C6-glucuronide of Sch 58235 was prepared with the help of a cascade of eight enzymes operating concurrently in one pot.

Animals↗

Effect of Glycyrrhiza glabra roots and glycyrrhizin on the glucuronidation in rats.

As an approach to elucidate the possible in vivo interaction of synthetic drugs and herbs which are frequently used in combination in Asia, the effect of Glycyrrhiza glabra on the metabolism of acetaminophen (AAP) was examined in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The pretreatment of the methanol extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra roots (Glycyrrhizae Radix, GR, 1 g/kg, p.o.) for 6 days significantly increased the cumulative biliary (156%) and urinary (132%) excretions of AAP-glucuronide conjugate within 120 min after the administration of AAP (150 mg/kg, i.v.) without affecting thioether and sulfate conjugates. These findings suggest that GR might enhance the glucuronidation pathway of AAP. In order to study the effect of GR on the glucuronidation in rat liver, we examined enzymatic activity of p-nitrophenol UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT), which is also called UGT1A, and intracellular concentrations of hepatic UDP-glucuronic acid, upon the administration of GR (1 g/kg, p.o.) or glycyrrhizin (23 mg/kg, p.o.), a major component of GR, for 6 days. GR and glycyrrhizin caused increases in specific activities of UGT1A by 111% and 96%, respectively. Concentration of UDP-glucuronic acid was increased 257% by GR and 484% by glycyrrhizin. These data indicate that GR and glycyrrhizin activated glucuronidation and thus suggest the possibility that GR may influence detoxification of xenobiotics in rat liver. Using the p-nitrophenol UGT1A1 cDNA as a probe, we found that the activation of UGT1A by GR was not due to the induction of mRNAs for the enzyme.

Animals↗

Metabolic conjugation of some carboxylic acids in the horse.

1. 14C-Labelled benzoic acid, salicylic acid and 2-naphthylacetic acid were administered orally to horses, and urinary metabolites investigated by chromatographic and mass spectral techniques. 2. [14C]Benzoic acid (5 mg/kg) was eliminated rapidly in the urine, and quantitatively recovered in 24 h. The major urinary metabolite was hippuric acid (95% of dose) with much smaller amounts of benzoic acid, benzoyl glucuronide and 3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionic acid. Administration of [ring-D5]benzoic acid together with [14C]benzoic acid to a pony permitted the mass spectral determination of metabolites of the exogenous benzoic acid metabolites in the presence of the same endogenous compounds. 3. [14C]Salicylic acid (35 mg/kg) was eliminated rapidly in the urine, 98% of the 14C dose being excreted in 24 h. The major excretion product was unchanged salicylate (94% of dose). Gentisic acid, salicyluric acid and the ester and ether glucuronides of salicylic acid were very minor metabolites. 4. 2-Naphthyl[14C]acetic acid (2 mg/kg) was excreted very slowly in the urine, with 53 and 77% of the 14C dose being recovered in six days. 2-Naphthylacetylglycine was the major metabolite (26 and 38% dose) and in addition, the glucuronic acid and taurine conjugates were excreted together with unchanged 2-naphthylacetic acid. 5. The study has shown that the horse can utilize glycine, taurine and glucuronic acid for conjugation of xenobiotic carboxylic acids, and that the relative extents of these pathways are governed by the structure of the carboxylic acid.

Animals↗

Structural investigation of the capsular polysaccharide produced by a novel Klebsiella serotype (SK1). Location of O-acetyl substituents using NMR and MS techniques.

The capsular polysaccharide of Klebsiella SK1 was investigated by methylation analysis, Smith degradation, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The oligosaccharides (P1 and P2) obtained by bacteriophage phi SK1 degradation of the polymer were studied by methylation analysis, and 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy. The resulting data showed that the parent repeating unit is a branched pentasaccharide having a structure identical to the revised structure recently proposed for Klebsiella serotype K8 capsular polysaccharide. [Formula: see text] The 2D-NMR data showed that one third of the glucuronic acid residues in the SK1 polymer are acetylated at O-2, O-3, or O-4. FABMS studies confirmed the presence of monoacetylated glucuronic acid residues. Thus, the relationship between the Klebsiella K8 and SK1 polymers is akin to that found for Klebsiella polysaccharides K30 and K33, which have been typed as serologically distinct yet their structures differ only in the degree of acetylation.

Acetylation↗

Phosphorylation of D-glucose derivatives with inorganic monoimido-cyclo-triphosphate.

Phosphorylation of several D-glucose derivatives has been achieved using inorganic monoimido-cyclo-triphosphate (MCTP, Na(3)P(3)O(8)NH) in aqueous solution. In the phosphorylation of D-glucose, D-glucuronic acid, 2-deoxy-D-glucose and D-galactose, 1-O-diphosphoramidophosphono-beta-D-glucose, 1-O-diphosphoramidophosphono-beta-D-glucuronic acid, 1-O-diphosphoramidophosphono-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucose, and 1-O-diphosphoramidophosphono-beta-D-galactose were stereoselectively synthesized with yields of 54, 32, 37 and 46%, respectively. In the case of methyl alpha-D-glucoside, the phosphorylated products were methyl 3-O-diphosphoramidophosphono-alpha-D-glucoside and methyl 4-O-diphosphoramidophosphono-alpha-D-glucoside, and in the case of methyl beta-D-glucoside the products were methyl 2-O-diphosphoramidophosphono-beta-D-glucoside, methyl 3-O-diphosphoramidophosphono-beta-D-glucoside, and methyl 4-O-diphosphoramidophosphono-beta-D-glucoside. For D-mannose and D-allose, several phosphorylated products were obtained and the main products were 1-O-diphosphoramidophosphono-beta-D-aldoses.

Glucose↗

Uronic acid dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas syringae. Purification and properties.

1. Uronic acid dehydrogenase was purified to homogeneity. After a 338-fold purification a yield of 16% was achieved with a specific activity of 81 mumol NADH formed min-1 mg protein-1. 2. The purity of the enzyme was controlled by disc electrophoresis, sodium dodecylsulfate electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation. 3. A molecular weight of 60 000 was determined by gel chromatography and by ultracentrifugation. 4. The native enzyme is composed of two subunits, their molecular weight being 30 000 as estimated by sodium dodecylsulfate electrophoresis. The subunits as such are inactive. 5. The absorption spectrum with a maximum at 278 nm shows no evidence for a prosthetic group. 6. For catalytic activity no SH groups and no metals seem to be necessary. 7. The Michaelis constants determined with the pure enzyme are for glucuronic acid Km = 0.37 mM, galacturonic acid Km = 54 muM and NAD+ (with glucuronic acid) Km = 80 muM. 8. A weak reverse reaction could be observed with glucaric acid lactones at acidic pH. 9. NADH is competitive with NAD+. The inhibitor constant is Ki = 60 muM. 10. The NAD+ binding site seems to be of lower specificity than the uronic acid binding site.

Aldehyde Oxidoreductases↗

Evidence for covalent binding of acyl glucuronides to serum albumin via an imine mechanism as revealed by tandem mass spectrometry.

Acyl glucuronide metabolites of bilirubin and many drugs can react with serum albumin in vivo to form covalent adducts. Such adducts may be responsible for some toxic effects of carboxylic nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents. The mechanism of formation of the adducts and their chemical structures are unknown. In this paper we describe the use of tandem mass spectrometry to locate binding sites and elucidate the binding mechanism involved in the formation of covalent adducts from tolmetin glucuronide and albumin in vitro. Human serum albumin and excess tolmetin glucuronide were coincubated in the presence of sodium cyanoborohydride to trap imine intermediates. The total protein product was reduced, carboxymethylated, and digested with trypsin. Six tolmetin-containing peptides (indicated by absorbance at 313 nm) were isolated by high-pressure liquid chromatography and analyzed by liquid secondary-ion mass spectrometry and collision-induced dissociation, using a four-sector tandem mass spectrometer. All six peptides contained tolmetin linked covalently via a glucuronic acid to protein lysine groups. Major attachment sites on the protein were Lys-195, -199, and -525; minor sites were identified as Lys-137, -351, and -541. Our results show unambiguously that the glucuronic acid moiety of acyl glucuronides can be retained within the structure when these reactive metabolites bind covalently to proteins, and they suggest that acyl migration followed by Schiff base (imine) formation is a credible mechanism for the generation of covalent adducts in vivo.

Acylation↗

The chemical modification of human liver UDP-glucuronosyltransferase UGT1*6 reveals the involvement of a carboxyl group in catalysis.

The treatment of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase UGT1*6 stably expressed in V79 cells with three carboxyl-specific reagents, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide and N-ethyl-5-phenylisoxazolium-3'-sulfonate (Woodward's reagent K), resulted in a fast, dose-dependent decrease of the 4-methylumbelliferone glucuronidation. The inactivation reactions followed pseudo-first order kinetics. The pKa of the modified residue was close to 5.0. A partial protection against inactivation by Woodward's reagent was observed at pH 7.4 in the presence of UDP-glucuronic acid, UDP, and, to a lesser extent, in the presence of 4-methylumbelliferone. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide significantly decreased the Vmax, without affecting the apparent Km towards UDP-glucuronic acid and 4-methylumbelliferone. The results support the involvement of a carboxyl group in the catalytic process.

Catalysis↗

Ascorbic acid requirements and metabolism in relation to organochlorine pesticides.

Those organochlorine pesticides which possess both high lipoid solubility and high resistance to biodegradation are prone to accumulation in animal tissues and produce relatively long-term effects as toxicants. Such compounds, typified by DDT, Dieldrin, and Lindane, are profound inducers of hepatic microsomal enzymes, including parts of the glucuronic acid and ascorbic acid biosynthetic pathways. Consequently, administering such pesticides to rats in accompanied by enhanced formation and excretion of D-glucuronic acid and L-ascorbic acid, or D-glucaric acid in the case of guinea pigs. Secondarily, the efficiency in biodegrading the pesticides is reduced in ascorbic-acid-deficient guinea pigs with correspondingly greater residue accumulation in tissue. This would aggravate chronic toxic effects of the compounds. Finally, the capacity of the liver to adapt to the presence of such toxicants through enhanced microsomal enzymatic levels appears to be sensitive to its ascorbate status. Impaired enzyme induction is apparent quite early during ascorbic acid depletion in guinea pigs. The enhanced turnover of ascorbate produced by such pesticides, the poor enzymatic adaptation to them during ascorbate depletion and the dependency of the oxidase system upon adequate ascorbate, all point to the central significance of ascorbate status in the liver, and possibly other tissues, as a determinant of their chronic toxicity.

Animals↗

Translocon pores in the endoplasmic reticulum are permeable to small anions.

Contribution of translocon peptide channels to the permeation of low molecular mass anions was investigated in rat liver microsomes. Puromycin, which purges translocon pores of nascent polypeptides, creating additional empty pores, raised the microsomal uptake of radiolabeled UDP-glucuronic acid, while it did not increase the uptake of glucose-6-phosphate or glutathione. The role of translocon pores in the transport of small anions was also investigated by measuring the effect of puromycin on the activity of microsomal enzymes with intraluminal active sites. The mannose-6-phosphatase activity of glucose-6-phosphatase and the activity of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase were elevated upon addition of puromycin, but glucose-6-phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase activities were not changed. The increase in enzyme activities was due to a better access of the substrates to the luminal compartment rather than to activation of the enzymes. Antibody against Sec61 translocon component decreased the activity of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and antagonized the effect of puromycin. Similarly, the addition of the puromycin antagonist anisomycin or treatments of microsomes, resulting in the release of attached ribosomes, prevented the puromycin-dependent increase in the activity. Mannose-6-phosphatase and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities of smooth microsomal vesicles showed higher basal latencies that were not affected by puromycin. In conclusion, translationally inactive, ribosome-bound translocons allow small anions to cross the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. This pathway can contribute to the nonspecific substrate supply of enzymes with intraluminal active centers.

Animals↗

Effects of chronic vanadium pentoxide administration on L-ascorbic acid metabolism in rats: influence of L-ascorbic acid supplementation.

1. Rats toxicated with vanadium pentoxide showed drastic retardation in growth rate and supplementation of L-ascorbic acid to these rats could not reverse this effect. The urinary excretion of L-ascorbic acid and D-glucuronic acid was decreased in the toxicated group of rats. 2. Considerable lowering of L-ascorbic acid content of the liver tissues of rats was observed under vanadium toxicated conditions. Supplementation of L-ascorbic acid to this group raised the tissue Vitamin C reserve considerably. 3. The normal histological patterns of the liver and kidney tissues of rats were severely disturbed under vanadium toxicated conditions. L-ascorbic acid supplementation to this group of rats showed marked signs of restoration in this respect. 4. Vanadium pentoxide treatment brought about a significant reduction in the biosynthetic capacity of L-ascorbic acid, along with an enhanced utilization of this vitamin. Subsequent supplementation of L-ascorbic acid to the toxicated group of rats was found to be effective in reversing these effects almost to the basal level.

Animals↗

The metabolism of tetralin.

1. [1-(14)C]Tetralin was synthesized and fed to rabbits. 2. Of the radioactivity, 87-90% was excreted in the urine within two days and 0.5-3.7% on the third day. The faeces contained 0.6-1.8%. No radioactivity was found in the breath and negligible amounts were retained in the tissues. About 90-99% of an administered dose was accounted for. 3. The main metabolite in the urine was the glucuronide of alpha-tetralol (52.4%). Other conjugated metabolites were beta-tetralol (25.3%), 4-hydroxy-alpha-tetralone (6.1%), cis-tetralin-1,2-diol (0.4%) and trans-tetralin-1,2-diol (0.6%). 4. beta-Tetralone, alpha-naphthol, 1,2-dihydronaphthalene and naphthalene, previously reported as metabolites, are artifacts, and tetralin, alpha-tetralone, beta-naphthol, 5-hydroxytetralin, and 6-hydroxytetralin are not metabolites. 5. The major metabolite of tetralin, alpha-tetralol and alpha-tetralone is the glucuronide of alpha-tetralol, which was isolated as methyl (1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthyl tri-O-acetyl-beta-d-glucosid)uronate; the major metabolite of beta-tetralol and beta-tetralone is the glucuronide of beta-tetralol, which was characterized as methyl (1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2-naphthyl tri-O-acetyl-beta-d-glucosid)uronate. 5-Hydroxytetralin is conjugated with glucuronic acid, and was characterized as methyl (5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1-naphthyl tri-O-acetyl-beta-d-glucosid)uronate. 6-Hydroxytetralin is conjugated with glucuronic acid, and was characterized as methyl (5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthyl tri-O-acetyl-beta-d-glucosid)uronate. 6. A metabolic sequence accounting for the observed biological transformation products is proposed.

Animals↗

Human conjugated bilirubin--isolation, biosynthesis, and direct molecular characterization.

We prepared human conjugated bilirubin by isolation from fresh gall bladder bile and by biosynthesis using liver homogenates. The isolation protocol was modified after Lucassen (doctoral thesis, Univ. Utrecht, 1961), and the in vitro synthesis was done with fresh liver homogenates in the presence of D-glucaro-1,4-lactone (a glucuronidase inhibitor). From direct analyses of these preparations with 270-MHz proton nuclear magnetic resonance and field-desorption mass spectrometry, we deduced that a major conjugated bilirubin species in bile is a diglucuronide, whereas in liver biosynthesis it is a diconjugate containing glucuronic acid and possibly glucuronolactone co-esterified to the bilirubin backbone. If the glucuronolactone is indeed present in the native biosynthetic material, we do not know whether it derives from glucuronic acid and, if so, whether lactonization occurs before or after the acid has been esterified to form the conjugate.

Bile↗

Effect of fatty acid deficiency on microsomal membrane fluidity and cooperativity of the UDP-glucuronyltransferase.

The effect of fat deprivation on microsomal membrane fluidity of guinea-pig livers and the kinetic cooperativity of UDP-glucuronyl transferase towards its natural substrate, the UDP-glucuronic acid, were studied. Fat deprivation in the diet of weanling guinea-pigs evoked a typical essential fatty-acid-deficient pattern in the composition of the microsomal membrane. The unsaturated:saturated fatty acid ratio progressively declined in the membrane during the 21-day period tested. This decline determined a gradual increase in the fluorescence anisotropy (rs) of the membrane labeled with diphenylhexatriene and the apparent microviscosity of the lipid bilayer calculated from these values increased from 1.1 to 1.8 poise. In addition, when the infinitely slow decaying fluorescence anisotropy ((r infinity), which is proportional to the square of the lipid order parameter, was calculated from rs data, a significant increase in these parameters was also obtained. Furthermore, this decrease of the double bond index:saturated acid ratio of the membrane was associated with a parallel increase in Hill coefficients of the UDP-glucuronyl transferase that gradually lost the negative homotropic effect and cooperativity of UDP-glucuronic acid. The Hill coefficient varied from 0.39 to 0.98 during the 21-day period studied. Our observations indicate on one side that changes in the fat composition of the diet are accompanied by modifications in the lipid composition and fluidity of the microsomal membrane, and the apparent cooperativity of the enzyme. On the other side, they suggest that the evaluation of Hill coefficients of UDP-glucuronyl transferase might be used as a sensitive test to investigate conformational changes in the microsomal membrane of the liver.

Animals↗

Expression of foreign genes in transgenic yellow-poplar plants.

Cells of yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) were transformed by direct gene transfer and regenerated into plants by somatic embryogenesis. Plasmid DNA bearing marker genes encoding beta-glucuronidase (GUS) and neomycin phosphotransferase (NPT II) were introduced by microprojectile bombardment into single cells and small cell clusters isolated from embryogenic suspension cultures. The number of full-length copies of the GUS gene in independently transformed callus lines ranged from approximately 3 to 30. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for NPT II and a fluorometric assay for GUS showed that the expression of both enzymes varied by less than fourfold among callus lines. A histochemical assay for GUS activity revealed a heterogeneous pattern of staining with the substrate 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoyl-beta-d-glucuronic acid in some transformed cell cultures. However, cell clusters reacting positively (blue) or negatively (white) with 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoyl-beta-d-glucuronic acid demonstrated both GUS activity and NPT II expression in quantitative assays. Somatic embryos induced from transformed cell cultures were found to be uniformly GUS positive by histochemical analysis. All transgenic plants sampled expressed the two marker genes in both root and shoot tissues. GUS activity was found to be higher in leaves than roots by fluorometric and histochemical assays. Conversely, roots expressed higher levels of NPT II than leaves.

Journal Article↗