Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Purine Catabolism, a Source of Endogenously Formed Urea in Homogenates of Amphibian Kidney

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

CLASSICAL thinking holds that the bulk of urea formed in the body is derived from reactions of the Krebs–Henseleit cycle1 occurring in the liver of mammals and of amphibia2. Although the cycle is incomplete in mammalian kidney due to a relative lack of ornithine transcarbamylase and of carbamyl phosphate synthetase3, the enzymatically catalysed pathway, citrulline+aspartate⇌arginine⇌urea+ornithine provides a potential source of urea in kidney cells.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Krebs, H. A., and Henseleit, K., Hoppe-Seyl. Z., 210, 33 (1932).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Cohen, P. P., and Brown, G. W., jun., in Comparative Biochemistry, 2, 161, edit. by Florkin, M., and Mason, H. S. (New York City: Academic Press, 1960).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  3. Jones, M. E., Anderson, A. D., Anderson, C., and Hodes, S., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 95, 499 (1961).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Cedrangolo, F., Della Pietra, G., Cittadini, Papa S., and DeLorenzo, F., Nature, 195, 708 (1962).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Braunstein, A. E., Severina, S., and Babskaja, J. E., Biokhimia, 21, 738 (1956).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Carlisky, N. J., Brodsky, W. A., Huang, K. C., and Munsey, E., Physiologist, 5, 115 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Conway, E. J., Biochem. J., 29, 2755 (1935).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Umbreit, W. W., in Metabolic Maps, 2, 142 (Minneapolis, Minn.: Burgess Publishing Co., 1960).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, and Bio-Transport Unit, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, 2, Kentucky

    WILLIAM A. BRODSKY & NESTOR J. CARLISKY

Authors
  1. WILLIAM A. BRODSKY
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. NESTOR J. CARLISKY
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

BRODSKY, W., CARLISKY, N. Purine Catabolism, a Source of Endogenously Formed Urea in Homogenates of Amphibian Kidney. Nature 199, 602–603 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/199602a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/199602a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

Search

Navigation