Substrate-induced conjugation of bilirubin in genetically deficient newborn rats.

Bilirubin appears to induce its own conjugation with glucuronide. Bilibrubin uridine diphosphate-glucuronyltransferase activity is relatively high at birth in heterozygous offspring of permanently jaundiced female rats. The postnatal development of the transferase is accelerated in hyperbilirubinemic heterozygotes.