Urease, the enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of urea, is a virulence factor for a large number of ureolytic bacterial human pathogens. The increasing resistance of these pathogens to common antibiotics as well as the need to control urease activity to improve the yield of soil nitrogen fertilization in agricultural applications has stimulated the development of novel classes of molecules that target urease as enzyme inhibitors ...
Urease, the enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of urea, is a virulence factor for a large number of ureolytic bacterial human pathogens. The increasing resistance of these pathogens to common antibiotics as well as the need to control urease activity to improve the yield of soil nitrogen fertilization in agricultural applications has stimulated the development of novel classes of molecules that target urease as enzyme inhibitors. We report on the crystal structure at 1.50-Å resolution of a complex formed between citrate and urease from Sporosarcina pasteurii, a widespread and highly ureolytic soil bacterium. The fit of the ligand to the active site involves stabilizing interactions, such as a carboxylate group that binds the nickel ions at the active site and several hydrogen bonds with the surrounding residues. The citrate ligand has a significantly extended structure compared with previously reported ligands co-crystallized with urease and thus represents a unique and promising scaffold for the design of new, highly active, stable, selective inhibitors.
Related Citations:
Molecular Details of Urease Inhibition by Boric Acid: Insights Into the Catalytic Mechanism. Benini, S., Rypniewski, W.R., Wilson, K.S., Mangani, S., Ciurli, S. (2004) J Am Chem Soc 126: 3714
Structure-Based Rationalization of Urease Inhibition by Phosphate: Novel Insights Into the Enzyme Mechanism. Benini, S., Rypniewski, W.R., Wilson, K.S., Ciurli, S., Mangani, S. (2001) J Biol Inorg Chem 6: 778
The Complex of Bacillus Pasteurii Urease with Acetohydroxamate Anion from X-Ray Data at 1.55 A Resolution. Benini, S., Rypniewski, W.R., Wilson, K.S., Miletti, S., Ciurli, S., Mangani, S. (2000) J Biol Inorg Chem 5: 110
A New Proposal for Urease Mechanism Based on the Crystal Structures of the Native and Inhibited Enzyme from Bacillus Pasteurii: Why Urea Hydrolysis Costs Two Nickels. Benini, S., Rypniewski, W.R., Wilson, K.S., Miletti, S., Ciurli, S., Mangani, S. (1999) Structure 7: 205
The Complex of Bacillus Pasteurii Urease with Beta-Mercaptoethanol from X-Ray Data at 1.65 A Resolution Benini, S., Ciurli, S., Rypniewski, W.R., Wilson, K.S., Mangani, S. (1998) J Biol Inorg Chem 3: 268
Crystallization and Preliminary High-Resolution X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of Native and Beta-Mercaptoethanol-Inhibited Urease from Bacillus Pasteurii. Benini, S., Ciurli, S., Rypniewski, W.R., Wilson, K.S., Mangani, S. (1998) Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr 54: 409
Organizational Affiliation:
Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy.
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