The glucuronidation of bile acids is an established metabolic pathway in different human organs. The hepatic and renal UDP-glucuronyltransferase activities vary according to the bile acids concerned. Thus, hyodeoxycholic acid is clearly differentiated from other bile acids by its high rate of glucuronidation and elevated urinary excretion in man. To determine whether such in vivo observations are related to variations in bile acid structure, human hepatic and renal microsomes were prepared and time courses of bile acid glucuronidation measured with the bile acids possessing hydroxyl groups in different positions. Eleven [24-14C]bile acids were chosen or synthesized in respect of their specific combination of hydroxyl and 0x0 groups at the 3,6, 7 and 12 positions and of their c1 or 8 hydroxyl configurations. The results clearly demonstrate that bile acids with an hydroxyl group in the 6a position underwent a high degree of glucuronidation. Apparent kinetic K, and V,,, values for UDPglucuronyltransferase activities ranged over 78 -66 pM and 1.8 -3.3 nmol . min-' . mg-protein in the liver and over 190-19 pM and 0.5-9.2 nmol . min-' . mg-' protein in the kidney. All the other bile acids tested, each of which possessed a 3a-hydroxyl group and whose second or third hydroxyl was bound at the 68, 7 or 12 positions, were glucuronidated to a degree far below that of the 6a-hydroxylated bile acids. We conclude that an active and highly specific UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity for 6a-hydroxylated bile acids exists in human liver and kidneys. Moreover, this activity results in the linkage of glucuronic acid to the 6a-hydroxyl group and not to the usual 3a-hydroxyl group of bile acids.Biliary and urinary excretion of endogenous or exogenous substances usually require preliminary biosynthesis of more polar metabolites. Hepatic transferases play a major role in such processes by linking several chemical groups such as sulfate, glycine, taurine, glucuronic acid to a wide variety of compounds.UDP-glucuronyltransferase is able to transfer the activated form of glucuronic acid (uridine 5'-diphosphoglucuronic acid) to a large variety of xenobiotics: phenolic and naphtholic derivatives, morphine, chloramphenicol, 4-methylumbelliferone etc., as well as endogenous compounds such as bilirubin, thyroxine, and other thyroid hormones (for review see [I] Abbreviations. HDC, hyodeoxycholic acid (3a,6a-dihydroxy-58-cholan-24-oic acid) ; CDC, chenodeoxycholic acid (3~,7a-dihydroxy-5/l-cholan-24-oic acid); UDC, ursodeoxycholic acid (3a,7p-dihydroxy-5P-cholan-24-oic acid); C, cholic acid (3a,7a,12cr-trihydroxy-5/3-cholan-24-oic acid); P-MC, P-muricholic acid (3cc,6~,7P-trihydroxy-5P-cholan-24-oic acid), w-MC, w-muricholic acid (3a,6cr,7~-trihydroxy-5P-cholan-24-oic acid); 3~6 1 , 3a,6P-dihydroxy-5~-cholan-24-oic acid; 3b6a, 3P,6a-dihydroxy-5fi-cholan-24-oic acid ; 3a6-oxo,3a-hydroxy-6-oxo-5~-cholan-24-oic acid ; 3-0x0-6a, 3-oxo-6a-hydroxy-5~-cholan-24-oic acid; allo-3a6-0x0, 3a-hydroxy-6-oxo-5a-cholan-24-oic acid; Me&, trimethylsilyl.Enzyme. ...