XDH

XDH, or Xanthine dehydrogenase, is an enzyme that plays a crucial role in purine metabolism, a pathway responsible for the synthesis and degradation of purine nucleotides such as adenine and guanine. XDH catalyzes the conversion of hypoxanthine to xanthine and xanthine to uric acid, the final product of purine degradation in humans. One of the primary functions of XDH is its involvement in the breakdown of purines to uric acid, a process essential for the elimination of excess purines from the body. Purines are derived from dietary sources and the breakdown of nucleic acids, and their metabolism is tightly regulated to...