Structural properties of the nickel ions in urease: novel insights into the catalytic and inhibition mechanisms

This work provides a comprehensive critical summary of urease spectroscopy, crystallography, inhibitor binding, and site-directed mutagenesis, with special emphasis given to the relationships between the structural Features of the Ni-containing active site and the physico-chemical and biochemical properties of this metallo-enzyme. In addition, the recently determined structure of a complex between urease and a transition state analogue is discussed as it leads to a novel, thought-provoking proposal for the enzyme mechanism. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.