| Background : |
The HPRT1 gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1. This enzyme allows cells to recycle purines, some of the building blocks of DNA and its chemical cousin RNA.The enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltrasferase (E.C.2.4.2.8., HPRT) plays a crucial role in uric acid synthesis and purine metabolism.This enzyme catalyzes the conversion of hypoxanthine and guanine to inosine monophosphate (IMP) and guanosine monophosphate (GMP), respectively, and uses phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) as a cosubstrate and as a source of energy . This pathway is also known as the purine salvage pathway because it allows cells to reuse purine compounds to build DNA and RNA. |
