78 by: Christina Dallas
Student – Christina Dallas
Name of Enzyme & E.C. number – Urease; EC 3.5.1.5
Where is the enzyme found? Urease can be found in many different organisms such as plants, algae, fungi, and prokaryotes. It is commonly found in soils or in the body such as in the gastrointestinal and urinary tract.
What does the enzyme do? Urease is a protein that catalyzes the process of hydrolysis of urea into ammonia and other byproducts. Urease has an active site containing amino acids and Nickel ions that is complementary and specific to the substrate, a urea molecule. The urea molecule enters the active site and binds to the enzyme. The urease enzyme makes the reaction more energetically favorable by stabilizing the transition states and lowering the activation energy. This allows for more reactive nucleophiles to attack the carbonyl groups of the urea. Overall urease is able to speed up the reaction time of urea hydrolysis without being consumed.
Any other interesting facts or important information on your enzyme – Urease is involved in biogeochemical processes that contribute negatively to ecosystems and environments. For example, urease is “critically involved in the mineralization step of the global nitrogen cycle.” (Mazzei et al, 2020, p. 1) In an article researching characteristics of urease enzymes of green bean seeds, urease is demonstrated to potentially be a useful tool in antifungal medicinal treatment. (Muslihah et al, 2024)
References
Mazzei, L., Musiani, F., & Ciurli, S. (2020). The structure-based reaction mechanism of urease, a nickel dependent enzyme: tale of a long debate. Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry (JBIC), 25(6), 829–845. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00775-020-01808-w
Musiani, F., Arnofi, E., Casadio, R., & Ciurli, S. (2001). Structure-based computational study of the catalytic and inhibition mechanisms of urease. Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry (JBIC), 6(3), 300–314.
Muslihah, N. I., Zusfahair, Ningsih, D. R., & Nuradha, F. (2024). The Characteristics of Urease Enzyme of Green Bean Seeds (Vigna radiata L.) and Its Activity as An Antifungal Against Candida albicans. Journal of Scientific & Applied Chemistry, 37(3), 145–150. https://doi-org.ezproxy.tru.ca/10.14710/jksa.27.3.145-150
