Urease: structure, function, catalysis, and inhibition

In this review, the structural and biochemical properties of urease, as derived from the past 100 years of research, are summarized. In particular, the structural properties of the enzyme are described, focusing the attention to the chemistry of the Ni(II) ions in the active site. The catalytic and inhibition mechanisms, as derived from kinetic and structural studies, are illustrated, whereas the structural features of the accessory proteins that are responsible for the insertion of the Ni(II) ions in the active site are described and discussed in the framework of a putative mechanism of urease activation.