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Urate Oxidase
Introduction
Urate oxidase (3bk8) is an enzyme belonging to the purine degratdation pathway, whose function is to prevent build-up of uric acid in the blood by catalyzing the oxidation of uric acid by molecular oxygen, producing 5-hydroxyisourate and hydrogen peroxide. This enzyme is found in many organisms, but not found in higher apes and humans. It has been suggested that this may be an evolutionary advantage, as uric acid is a strong anti-oxidant. This leads to the presence of fewer free radicals and therefore fewer instances of cancer as a result of aging. This does lead, however, to elevated levels of uric acid in the plasma, which can be fatal. Urate oxidase was first isolated from the fungus Aspergillus flavus.
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Sonja Senekovic
