Orotic acid (6-Carboxyuracil), a precursor in biosynthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides and RNA, is released from the mitochondrial dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) for conversion to UMP by the cytoplasmic UMP synthase enzyme. Orotic acid is a marker for measurement in routine newborn screening for urea cycle disorders. Orotic acid can induce hepatic steatosis and hepatomegaly in rats[1][2][3].
