Studies on 5-Ribosyluracil in Man.

Summary A method described for estimation and isolation of 5-ribosyluracil in 24-hour specimens of normal human urine (7) has been used to study its excretion in patients suspected of abnormal RNA turnover. In accord with the previously demonstrated lack of catabolism of 5-ribosyluracil in man(7), there is support for the view that the amount of excreted 5-ribosyluracil may be indicative of the turnover of transfer RNA, intimately associated with protein biosynthesis. With the use of this method, several as yet unidentified components have been isolated from human urine and partially characterized.