title: Human beta-glucuronidase. Studies on the effects of pH and bile acids in regard to its role in the pathogenesis of cholelithiasis.
abstract: Human bile contains a considerable amount of endogenous beta-glucuronidase. The effects of pH and bile acids on its activity have been studied in regard to its role in the pathogenesis of cholelithiasis. beta-Glucuronidase, purified from human liver to homogeneity, was structurally stable between pH 4 and 10, but was active only over a much narrower range of pH, with a pH optimum of 5.2. The inactivation below pH 4 was due to its irreversible denaturation, whereas the inactivation at higher pH was due to a true reversible pH effect on the enzyme velocity. Kinetic studies revealed that hydrogen ion acted as a substrate-directed activator of the free enzyme, but not the enzyme-substrate complex, with a molecular dissociation constant of 4 X 10(-6). The enzyme activity was not affected by unconjugated bile acids, primarily due to their extremely low water solubility. Conjugated bile acids, on the other hand, exerted heterogeneous and pH-dependent effects on the enzyme. At pH 5.2, taurocholic acid and glycocholic acid were substrate-directed activators of the enzyme; taurochenodeoxycholic acid and taurodeoxycholic acid, competitive inhibitors; and glycochenodeoxycholic acid and glycodeoxycholic acid, mixed inhibitors. At pH 7.0 all taurine and glycine conjugates behaved as substrate-directed activators. Though beta-glucuronidase activity at pH 7 was only 23% of its maximal activity at pH 5.2, conjugated bile acids tended to restore its activity to a certain extent at pH 7. Thus, endogenous beta-glucuronidase could play a significant role in pigment cholelithiasis.
mesh_terms: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism*; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000201:enzymology*; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D005966:Glucuronidase