Some comments on ‘Urease activity and its Michaelis constant for soil systems’, by Viraj Beriet al.

Summary Recently Beri, Goswami and Brar made a very valuable contribution to our knowledge of soil urease activity. Unfortunately some errors crept into their experimental approach and the mathematical treatment of the experimental data. Rectification leads in some points to conclusions different from those of the authors.Viraj Beri, K. P. Goswami and S. S. Brar, Plant and Soil49, 105–115 (1978).     

细菌脲酶蛋白复合物UreABC的表达与纯化

细菌脲酶能分解尿素为氨,在瘤胃尿素氮代谢中发挥重要作用.为了表达纯化并研究蛋白脲酶复合物UreABC,通过PCR扩增脲酶基因簇的结构基因ureA、ureB、ureC,将ureB构建在含有N端His标签的pet28a+载体,ureA、ureC基因共同构建在含有N端His标签的表达载体pETDuet-1,经酶切及测序鉴定得...     

交联脲酶聚集体的制备和初步应用

为提高游离脲酶的稳定性,将游离脲酶用硫酸铵沉淀下来后,以戊二醛作为交联剂对其进行化学交联,制备新型的固定化脲酶交联脲酶聚集体,并对其酶学性质进行研究。交联脲酶聚集体的最适pH、最适温度和K_m值分别为：pH 8.0、70℃和0.021 mol/L。在对交联脲酶聚集体的热稳定性,储存稳定性,和对抗蛋白水解酶的能力的研究中,交联脲酶聚集体均显示了比游离脲酶更高的稳定性。为考察其使用效果和稳定性,将其与包醛氧淀粉联合,用于慢性肾衰动物模型的口服治疗。以腺嘌呤灌胃法(每天300mg/kg, 共30d)制备慢性肾衰动物模型,将23只大鼠随机分为模型对照组(每天以10mL/kg蒸馏水灌胃)、单纯包醛氧淀粉组(给予含包醛氧淀粉饲料,10mL/kg蒸馏水灌胃)和包醛氧淀粉+交联脲酶聚集体组(给予含包醛氧淀粉饲料,交联脲酶聚集体悬浮液10mL/kg灌胃),经2周治疗后, 模型对照组、治疗对照组和治疗组实验前后的肌酐含量均有小幅下降,但差异不显著(P值分别为0.922、0.972和0.225＞0.05)。模型对照组的尿素氮含量变化不明显(P=0.211＞0.05)。治疗对照组和治疗组实验前后的尿素氮含量均明显下降(P值分别为0.004和小于0.001,均小于0.01)。治疗对照组和治疗组实验前后的尿素氮含量下降量比较,有显著性差异(P=0.016＜0.05)。治疗组尿素氮含量下降更明显。说明交联脲酶聚集体和包醛氧淀粉联合使用时,对尿素的清除效率比单纯使用包醛氧淀粉更高。     

Flavonoids as effective protectors of urease from ultrasonic inactivation in solutions

Inactivation of soybean urease in aqueous solution at pH 5.4, 36°C, and high-frequency sonication (2.64 MHz, 1.0 W/cm²) is substantially reduced in the presence of seven structurally different flavonoids. A comparative kinetic study of the effect of these flavonoids on the effective first-order rate constants that characterize the total (thermal and ultrasonic) inactivation k _i , thermal inactivation k*_i, and ultrasonic inactivation k _i (US) of 25 nM enzyme solution was carried out. The dependences of the three inactivation rate constants of the urease on the concentrations of flavonoids within the range from 10^?11 to 10^?4 M were obtained. The following order of the efficiency of the flavonoids used in respect of the urease protection from ultrasonic inactivation was found: astragalin > silybin > naringin > hesperidin > quercetin > kaempferol > morin. The results confirm a significant role in the inactivation of the urease of HO^. and HO ₂ ^. free radicals, which are formed in the ultrasonic cavitation field.     

Antiureolytic Activity of Substituted 2,5‐Diaminobenzoquinones

A series of 2,5‐bis(alkyl/arylamino)‐1,4‐benzoquinones ( 1 – 12 ) were investigated in vitro for their potential to inhibit the activity of jack bean urease. Compounds 1–6 , 8 , 9 , 11 and 12 effectively inhibited the jack bean urease activity by 90.8 % when tested at 5 μm , whereas 7 and 10 had relatively little effect. The IC₅₀ for most compounds was in the nanomolar range (31.4 nm and 36.0 nm for 2 and 8 , respectively). The mechanism of enzyme inhibition shown by 2 and 8 is typical of mixed‐type inhibitors, whose affinity for the active site is over 6‐ and 2‐fold higher (K_i=30.0 and 22.8 nm , for 2 and 8 , respectively) than that of an allosteric site. Molecular docking studies revealed that both 2 and 8 establish hydrogen bonds with the amino acids residues Asp494, Met588, His593 and Ala636 in the active site of jack bean urease. These results indicate that such aminoquinones are useful leads for the development of more efficient urease inhibitors of wider utility.     

新型磷酰胺类脲酶抑制剂对不同质地土壤尿素转化的影响

施用脲酶抑制剂是降低尿素水解、减少氨气挥发损失、提高作物氮(N)肥利用率的重要途径之一.采用室内恒温、恒湿模拟试验方法,在25 ℃黑暗条件下培养,研究新型磷酰胺类脲酶抑制剂N-丙基磷酰三胺(NPPT)的脲酶抑制效果,比较其与N-丁基磷酰三胺(NBPT)在不同尿素用量条件下不同质地土壤中对脲酶的抑制差异.结果表明: 在壤土和黏土中,尿素作用时间≤9 d,添加抑制剂可以将尿素水解时间延长3 d以上.砂土中,尿素分解过程相对缓慢,添加抑制剂显著降低土壤脲酶活性,抑制NH₄⁺-N生成.在培养期间,不同尿素用量条件下,脲酶抑制剂在不同质地土壤中的抑制效果表现为高施N量优于低施N量.培养第6天,在尿素用量250 mg N·kg^-1条件下,NBPT和NPPT在砂土中脲酶抑制率分别为56.3%和53.0%,在壤土中分别为0.04%和0.3%,在黏土中分别为4.1%和6.2%;尿素用量500 mg N·kg^-1,NBPT和NPPT在砂土中脲酶抑制率分别为59.4%和65.8%,在壤土中分别为14.5%和15.1%,在黏土中分别为49.1%和48.1%.不同质地土壤中脲酶抑制效果表现为砂土>黏土>壤土.不同抑制剂处理在培养期间土壤NH₄⁺-N含量呈现先上升后下降的趋势,而NO₃^--N含量和表观硝化率均呈现逐渐上升的趋势.与单施尿素处理相比,添加脲酶抑制剂NBPT和NPPT显著增加土壤中的残留尿素态N,降低NH₄⁺-N生成.新型脲酶抑制剂NPPT在不同质地土壤中的抑制效果与NBPT相似,是一款有效的脲酶抑制剂.     

Functional characterisation of urease accessory protein G (ureG) from potato

The activation of the nickel metalloenzyme urease is a complex process. In bacteria, several urease accessory proteins are essential for incorporation of nickel into the active centre of urease. Comparatively little is known about the activation process and the proteins involved in plants. We cloned five different cDNAs encoding isoforms of urease accessory protein G (ureG) in potato. The 5-coding region of these cDNAs is highly polymorphic within Solanum tuberosum ssp. tuberosum, containing mainly a simple sequence repeat encoding histidine and aspartate. Mapping on an ultrahigh-density map of the potato genome and Southern blot analysis showed that the isoforms arise from allelic differences of a single-copy gene which was located on chromosome 2. Expression analysis at the mRNA and protein levels indicated the presence of ureG in almost all tissues examined, consistent with the ubiquitous expression of urease. An attempt to correlate urease activity with ureG expression levels in different tissues was made. Allelic copies of ureG were expressed in a tissue-specific manner. UreG from potato and the Klebsiella aerogenes urease operon defective in bacterial ureG were co-expressed in Escherichia coli. The plant gene complements the K. aerogenes ureG mutation, demonstrating that it encodes a urease accessory protein and indicating a structural conservation between the plant and the bacterial urease activation complexes.     

Urease of Spirulina maxima

Urease (EC 3.5.1.5) was purified from Spirulina maxima by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography and gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. The enzyme had maximum activity at pH 8.7, a K_m for urea of 0.12 mM and a MW of ca 232 000. A MW of 38 000 was determined for the subunits. The enzyme was inactivated by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate.     

以伴刀豆球蛋白为介质定向固定化脲酶的研究

将戊二醛将伴刀豆球蛋白(ConA)和壳聚糖载体交联, 然后利用ConA与脲酶糖链的特异性结合作用, 实现脲酶的定向固定化。定向固定化的最适条件为戊二醛浓度3.5%、ConA浓度1 mg/mL、ConA溶液pH值7.0、脲酶浓度 0.4 mg/mL。定向固定化脲酶的最适pH 5.0~6.0、最适温度77°C、米氏常数Km11.76 mmol/L, 与游离酶及非定向固定化脲酶比较, 定向固定化脲酶的最适pH向酸性范围发生了偏移并有更宽的pH适用范围, 最适温度提高, 与底物的亲和力较大, 且有较好的操作稳定性。     

Urease inhibitors from Hypericum oblongifolium WALL.

The bioassay-guided fractionation of H. oblongifolium has led to the isolation of potent urease inhibitors 1–3. The structures were elucidated by NMR and mass spectroscopic techniques. Compound 2 showed a potent enzyme inhibition activity (IC₅₀ 20.96?±?0.93), which is comparatively higher than that for the standard thiourea (IC₅₀ 21.01?±?0.51 μM). Compounds 1 and 3 also showed a significant activity, with IC₅₀ 37.95?±?1.93 and 138.43?±?1.23 μM, respectively. The sub crude fractions (F1, F2, F3, and F4) were tested in vitro for their urease inhibition activity. Fractions F2 and F4 showed significant activity with IC₅₀ 140.37?±?1.93 and 167.43?±?3.03 μM, respectively.     

Urease and urea amidolyase: Determination of activity in liverworts

Using highly sensitive techniques, we have investigated urea degradation in the liverworts and found that they have high urease but no detectable urea amidolyase activity.     

除草剂阿特拉津对土壤脲酶活性的影响

研究了阿特拉津对4种典型施肥处理的土壤脲酶活力的影响。结果表明,处理初期,低浓度阿特拉津对土壤脲酶有一定刺激作用,高浓度处理在整个试验过程中对脲酶有明显抑制作用,阿特拉津对不同肥力土壤中脲酶的影响有明显差异,对照土壤和NPK肥土壤中脲酶活力较低,脲酶受抑制明显,抑制率分别高达30．35％和28．89％;NPK+秸秆和NPK+有机肥土壤的脲酶活力高,脲酶抑制率低,最高抑制率分别为21．35％和16．86％,不同肥力土壤在整个处理过程中,脲酶抑制率均为先逐渐增大到最大值,然后又逐渐降低;高肥力土壤脲酶抑制率最大值出现的时间比低肥力土壤迟,表明高肥力土壤对阿特拉津有较强的耐受能力。     

Complete amino acid sequence of jack bean urease

The subunit structure of jack bean urease has been unresolved in spite of many investigations. Thus far, the molecular weight for the native urease seem to range from 480,000 to 590,000 and the values for the monomer range from 30,000 to 97,000. The complete amino acid sequence of jack bean urease has been determined primarily by sequencing cyanogen bromide peptides, which were aligned by overlapping peptides obtained by lysylendopeptidase digestion of the protein and tryptic digestion of the citraconylated protein. The protein contains 840 amino acid residues in a single polypeptide chain and the subunit molecular weight calculated from the sequence is 90,790. The value of 544,740 for the hexamer, consistent with the value of 580,000 determined for intact urease by centrifugal analyses, indicated that urease consists of six subunits. Thirteen of 25 histidine residues in the urease subunit are crowded in the region between residues 479 and 607. Urease is a nickel metalloenzyme and the nickel has an essential role in catalysis by this enzyme. It is noteworthy that cysteine-592, which is recognized as essential for enzymatic activity and is related to the nickel ion in the active center, is located on this histidine-rich sequence.This article was presented during the proceedings of the International Conference on Macromolecular Structure and Function, held at the National Defence Medical College, Tokorozawa, Japan, December 1985.     

Inactivation of jack bean urease by N-ethylmaleimide: pH dependence,reversibility and thiols influence

N-Ethylmaleimide (NEM) was studied as an inactivator of jack bean urease at 25 °C in 20 mM phosphate buffer, pHs 6.4, 7.4, and 8.3. The inactivation was investigated by incubation procedure in the absence of a substrate. It was found that NEM acted as a time and concentration dependent inactivator of urease. The dependence of urease residual activity on the incubation time showed that the activity decreased with time until the total loss of enzyme activity. The process followed a pseudo-first-order reaction. A monophasic loss of enzyme activity was observed at pH 7.4 and 8.4, while a biphasic reaction occurred at pH 6.4. Moreover, the alkaline pH promoted the inactivation. The presence of thiol-compounds, such as L-cysteine, glutathione or dithiothreitol (DTT), in the incubation mixture significantly slowed down the rate of inactivation. The interaction test showed that the decrease of inactivation was an effect of NEM-thiol interaction that lowered NEM concentration in the incubation mixture. The reactivation of NEM-blocked urease by DTT application and multidilution did not result in an effective activity regain. The applied DTT reacted with the remaining inactivator and could stop the progress of enzyme activity loss but did not cause the reactivation. This confirmed the irreversibility of inactivation. Similar results obtained at pH 6.4, 7.4 and 8.4 indicated that the mechanism of urease inactivation by NEM was pH-independent. However, the pH value significantly influenced the process rate.     

以伴刀豆球蛋白为介质定向固定化脲酶的研究

将戊二醛将伴刀豆球蛋白(ConA)和壳聚糖载体交联,然后利用ConA与脲酶糖链的特异性结合作用,实现脲酶的定向固定化.定向固定化的最适条件为戊二醛浓度3.5%、ConA浓度1mg/mL、ConA溶液pH值7.0、脲酶浓度0.4mg/mL.定向固定化脲酶的最适pH 5.0～6.0、最适温度77℃,米氏常数Km11.76mmol/L,与游离酶及非定向固定化脲酶比较,定向固定化脲酶的最适pH向酸性范围发生了偏移并有更宽的pH适用范围,最适温度提高,与底物的亲和力较大,且有较好的操作稳定性.     

Inhibition of plant and microbial ureases by phosphoroamides

Enzyme kinetic studies of inhibition of plant (jackbean) and microbial (Bacillus pasteurii) ureases by eight phosphoroamides [phenylphosphorodiamidate, 4-chlorophenylphosphorodiamidate, phosphoric triamide, N-(diaminophosphinyl)benzamide, N-(diaminophosphinyl)benzeneacetamide, 4-chloro-N-(diaminophosphinyl)benzamide, N-(4-nitrophenyl)phosphoric triamide, N-(diaminophosphinyl)-3-pyridinecarboxamide] demonstrated that these compounds are slow, tight-binding inhibitors of urease enzymes. Measurement of the dissociation constants (Ki^*) of the enzyme-inhibitor complexes (E · I^*) formed by interaction of the ureases and phosphoroamide inhibitors studied showed that these inhibitors had a much higher affinity (i.e., a lower Ki^*) for plant urease than for microbial urease. Measurement of rate constants for formation (k_on) and decay (k_off) of E · I^* showed that, whereas k_on varied greatly with the different inhibitors and ureases, k_off was constant for the phosphoroamides tested and had a characteristic value for each urease. The half-life of E · I^* (30°C; pH 7 THAM buffer) for the plant urease was much longer than that for the microbial urease, and this difference largely accounted for the much higher values of Ki^* (k_off/k_on) observed with microbial urease.     

砷对土壤脲酶活性影响的研究

采用模拟方法对As污染土壤脲酶特征进行了研究．结果表明,土壤中As浓度在0～200mg·kg^-1浓度范围内,反应初期脲酶活性变化无明显规律;一年后砷激活土壤脲酶活性,二者达到显著或极显著正相关．随As浓度增加,土壤脲酶Km值基本不变或略有增加,Vmax增大,从机制上揭示出As加速脲酶-尿素复合物的解离．厩肥和无肥土样脲酶对As的反应类似,只是变化幅度有所差异．     

Novel tool in rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis—The usage of urease flap region peptidomimetics

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease. Early diagnosis can prevent joint erosion. However, available biomarkers do not always allow for clear distinction between RA and non‐RA individuals. It has become known that bacteria/viruses are among the environmental triggers that initiate RA via multiple molecular mechanisms. Thus, to better understand the role of bacteria in RA, we synthetized 6 peptidomimetics of bacterial ureases' flap region. These peptides were then used to distinguish RA patients from healthy people sera by immunoblotting. Most patients' sera were bound to peptidomimetic characteristic for Enterobacter sp. and Klebsiella sp. flap urease. We also found similarities between peptidomimetic sequence and human proteins connected with RA. This pilot study suggests that bacteria may trigger RA via mechanism of molecular mimicry of urease to host proteins and ureases flap peptidomimetics may be potential candidate as a new additional diagnostic test.