Die Urikolyse. I. Mitteilung.

Abstract

Considered stoichiometrically, the breaking down of uric acid to allantoin and CO2 must include several partial reactions hydrolysis, oxidation and the liberation of CO2. A priori, it is not probable that all 3 reactions are carried out by the same ferment[long dash]uricase. In establishing the pH curves for the breaking down of uric acid, the consumption of O and the formation of CO2 show that 2 optima exist for this breaking down,[long dash]one at pH of 8.9 and a 2nd at pn 9.9. At the 1st optimum there is formed only about 1/2 of the CO2 to be expected from the breaking down of the acid; at the 2nd,[long dash]the entire amount. The process is accomplished in 2 phases: one at pn 8.9 with the oxidation and hydrolysis of uric acid to an unknown by-product, and the other, after change in reaction to pn 9.9, with liberation of CO2. The pH curve for this 2nd process, which broke down a larger quantity of uric acid to the intermediate product, gave the same optimum of pH 9.9 as in the action of the ferment on the acid itself. At pH 8.9 exactly one atom of O is used up on a molecule of acid. Uricase seems therefore composed of several parts. As a ferment preparation, dried liver powder was used.