Ureases are multi-subunit, nickel-containing enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of urea to carbon dioxide and ammonia. This brief review discusses the biochemistry and genetics of bacterial ureases and outlines the roles of urea metabolism in microbial ecology and pathogenesis of some of the principle ureolytic species affecting human health.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Oral Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY, USA.
