A widely distributed gene cluster compensates for uricase loss in hominids

Yuanyuan Liu, J. Bryce Jarman, Yen S. Low, Hannah E. Augustijn, Steven Huang, Haoqing Chen, Mary E. DeFeo, Kazuma Sekiba, Bi Huei Hou, Xiandong Meng, Allison M. Weakley, Ashley V. Cabrera, Zhiwei Zhou, Gilles van Wezel, Marnix H. Medema, Calyani Ganesan, Alan C. Pao, Saurabh Gombar, Dylan Dodd* (Co-auteur)

*Bijbehorende auteur voor dit werk

Onderzoeksoutput: Bijdrage aan wetenschappelijk tijdschrift/periodieke uitgaveArtikelWetenschappelijkpeer review

35 Citaten (Scopus)
436 Downloads (Pure)

Samenvatting

Approximately 15% of US adults have circulating levels of uric acid above its solubility limit, which is causally linked to the disease gout. In most mammals, uric acid elimination is facilitated by the enzyme uricase. However, human uricase is a pseudogene, having been inactivated early in hominid evolution. Though it has long been known that uric acid is eliminated in the gut, the role of the gut microbiota in hyperuricemia has not been studied. Here, we identify a widely distributed bacterial gene cluster that encodes a pathway for uric acid degradation. Stable isotope tracing demonstrates that gut bacteria metabolize uric acid to xanthine or short chain fatty acids. Ablation of the microbiota in uricase-deficient mice causes severe hyperuricemia, and anaerobe-targeted antibiotics increase the risk of gout in humans. These data reveal a role for the gut microbiota in uric acid excretion and highlight the potential for microbiome-targeted therapeutics in hyperuricemia.

Originele taal-2Engels
Pagina's (van-tot)3400-3413.e20
TijdschriftCell
Volume186
Nummer van het tijdschrift16
DOI's
StatusGepubliceerd - 03 aug. 2023

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