Uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase ( UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, UDPGT or UGT) is a microsomal glycosyltransferase () that catalyzes the transfer of the glucuronic acid component of UDP-glucuronic acid to a small hydrophobic molecule. This is a

glucuronidation Glucuronidation is often involved in drug metabolism of substances such as drugs, pollutants, bilirubin, androgens, estrogens, mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, fatty acid derivatives, retinoids, and bile acids. These linkages involve gly ...

reaction. ''Alternative names:'' * glucuronyltransferase * UDP-glucuronyl transferase * UDP-GT

Function

Glucuronosyltransferases are responsible for the process of

, a major part of phase II metabolism. Arguably the most important of the Phase II (conjugative) enzymes, UGTs have been the subject of increasing scientific inquiry since the mid-to-late 1990s. The reaction catalyzed by the UGT enzyme involves the addition of a glucuronic acid moiety to xenobiotics and is the most important pathway for the human body's elimination of the most frequently prescribed drugs. It is also the major pathway for foreign chemical (dietary, environmental, pharmaceutical) removal for most drugs, dietary substances, toxins and endogenous substances. UGT is present in humans, other animals, plants, and bacteria. Famously, UGT enzymes are not present in the genus '' Felis'', and this accounts for a number of unusual toxicities in the cat family. The glucuronidation reaction consists of the transfer of the glucuronosyl group from uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronic acid (UDPGA) to substrate molecules that contain oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or carboxyl functional groups. The resulting glucuronide is more polar (e.g. hydrophilic) and more easily excreted than the substrate molecule. The product solubility in blood is increased allowing it to be eliminated from the body by the

kidney In humans, the kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped blood-filtering organ (anatomy), organs that are a multilobar, multipapillary form of mammalian kidneys, usually without signs of external lobulation. They are located on the left and rig ...

Diseases

A deficiency in the

bilirubin Bilirubin (BR) (adopted from German, originally bili—bile—plus ruber—red—from Latin) is a red-orange compound that occurs in the normcomponent of the straw-yellow color in urine. Another breakdown product, stercobilin, causes the brown ...

specific form of glucuronosyltransferase is thought to be the cause of

Gilbert's syndrome Gilbert syndrome (GS) is a syndrome in which the liver of affected individuals processes bilirubin more slowly than the majority resulting in higher levels in the blood. Many people never have symptoms. Occasionally jaundice (a yellowing of the ...

, which is characterized by unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. It is also associated with Crigler–Najjar syndrome, a more serious disorder where the enzyme's activity is either completely absent (Crigler–Najjar syndrome type I) or less than 10% of normal (type II). Infants may have a developmental deficiency in UDP-glucuronyl transferase, and are unable to hepatically metabolize the antibiotic drug

chloramphenicol Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic useful for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. This includes use as an eye ointment to treat conjunctivitis. By mouth or by intravenous, injection into a vein, it is used to treat meningitis, pl ...

which requires glucuronidation. This leads to a condition known as gray baby syndrome.

Causes

Causes of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia are divided into three main categories, namely, excessive

synthesis, liver bilirubin uptake malfunction, and bilirubin conjugation compromise. As to excessive bilirubin synthesis, both intravascular hemolysis and extravascular hemolysis can involve in the pathophysiology. Additionally, dyserythropoiesis and extravasation of

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood is com ...

into tissues such as

angioedema Angioedema is an area of swelling (edema) of the lower layer of skin and tissue just under the skin or mucous membranes. The swelling may occur in the face, tongue, larynx, abdomen, or arms and legs. Often it is associated with hives, which are ...

and

edema Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, swelling, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. S ...

can also lead to indirect hyperbilirubinemia, along with

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to Cardiac cycle, fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF ...

medication Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to medical diagnosis, diagnose, cure, treat, or preventive medicine, prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmaco ...

-induced, ethinyl estradiol,

chronic hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pa ...

, and

cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, chronic liver failure or chronic hepatic failure and end-stage liver disease, is a chronic condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced ...

that are, otherwise, attributed to hepatic bilirubin mal-uptake and bilirubin conjugation compromise, respectively.

Genes

Human genes which encode UGT enzymes include: * B3GAT1, B3GAT2, B3GAT3 * UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A4, UGT1A5,

UGT1A6 UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1-6 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''UGT1A6'' gene. Function UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1-6 is a UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, an enzyme of the glucuronidation pathway that transforms small lipophil ...

, UGT1A7, UGT1A8, UGT1A9,

UGT1A10 UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1-10 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''UGT1A10'' gene In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in D ...

* UGT2A1, UGT2A2, UGT2A3, UGT2B4,

UGT2B7 UGT2B7 (UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase-2B7) is a phase II metabolism isoenzyme found to be active in the liver, kidneys, epithelial cells of the lower gastrointestinal tract and also has been reported in the brain. In humans, UDP-Glucuronosyltran ...

, UGT2B10, UGT2B11, UGT2B15, UGT2B17, UGT2B28

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Biology, border=no Transferases EC 2.4.1