home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- **********************
- * Urease active site *
- **********************
-
- Urease (EC 3.5.1.5) is a nickel-binding enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis
- of urea to carbon dioxide and ammonia [1]. Historically, it was the first
- enzyme to be crystallized (in 1926). It is mainly found in plant seeds,
- microorganisms and invertebrates. In plants, urease is a hexamer of identical
- chains. In bacteria [2], it consists of either two or three different subunits
- (alpha, beta and gamma).
-
- Plant urease is known to bind two nickel ions per subunit; histidine residues
- seem to be their ligands. A cysteine serves as a general acid catalyst in the
- mechanism of action of urease [3].
-
- As a signature for this enzyme, we selected a conserved pentapeptide that
- includes the active site cysteine as well as two histidine residues which may
- be involved in binding nickel.
-
- -Consensus pattern: M-V-C-H-[HN]-L-[DN]
- [C is the active site residue]
- -Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL.
- -Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: NONE.
- -Last update: December 1992 / Pattern and text revised.
-
- [ 1] Takishima K., Suga T., Mamiya G.
- Eur. J. Biochem. 175:151-165(1988).
- [ 2] Mobley H.L.T., Husinger R.P.
- Microbiol. Rev. 53:85-108(1989).
- [ 3] Todd M.J., Hausinger R.P.
- J. Biol. Chem. 266:24327-24331(1991).
-