Urease

Urease is an enzyme that catalyzes urea hydrolysis into ammonia and CO2. It is found in a variety of organisms, including bacteria, fungi, and plants, and it is essential for nitrogen metabolism. The urease structure is highly conserved across organisms. It is made up of several subunits that are typically arranged in a globular structure with a central cavity containing the active site. Urease’s active site contains two nickel ions that are coordinated by amino acid residues and are required for enzymatic activity. Urease is an important enzyme in the nitrogen cycle because it aids in the conversion of urea, a nitrogen-containing compound, into ammonia, which plants can use as a nitrogen source. Urease has been studied for its potential applications in biotechnology and medicine, in addition to its role in nitrogen metabolism. Urease has been used in biotechnology to remove urea from industrial waste streams and to produce urea-based fertilizers. Urease can also be used to detect urea in biological samples because it catalyzes the production of ammonia, which may be detected using a variety of methods.