The enzymatic determination of mercury and copper using acid urease. The effects of buffers

We report on a quick and simple test based on enzyme inhibition for the detection of mercury and copper using free acid urease coupled to an optical sensor system. Lipophilized Nile Blue was incorporated in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) to produce an ammonium-sensitive layer with a thickness of around 4 m. The layer was fixed on one side of a disposable cuvette. A solution of buffer, enzyme and heavy metals was placed into the thermostated cell. Enzymatic hydrolysis was started upon addition of urea and the formation of ammonium was monitored. Mercury and copper were the strongest inhibitors; for this reason the inhibitory efficiency of these metals was examined in citrate, acetate and trismaleate buffers. The cuvette test was most sensitive and selective for mercury in a citrate buffer. The limit of detection for mercury(II) ions was as low as 1 g/L. Copper ions do not interfere because of complexation by citrate. The inhibitory effects of metal combinations on the activity of acid urease and the effects of optimum pH of the enzyme and the transducer on the dynamic range of the cuvette test are presented.     

Novel determination of cadmium ions using an enzyme self-assembled monolayer with surface plasmon resonance

The activity of the enzyme urease is known to be inhibited by the heavy metal cadmium. The binding of cadmium to urease and the consequent changes of the enzyme structure are the basis of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensing system reported herein. To facilitate the formation of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of the urease on gold-coated glass SPR sensor disks, the enzyme has been modified with N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithiol) propionate (SPDP). The urease monolayer was exposed to trace levels of cadmium ions and monitored by SPR. From circular dichroism (CD) data, it is believed that the conformation of the active nickel site of the urease changes upon binding of the cadmium ions. It is this change of the enzyme monolayer, measured by SPR, which has been related to the cadmium ion concentration in the range of 0–10 mg l⁻¹. These data are the first report of a SPR biosensor capable of detecting metal ions.     

Electrical Control of Urease Activity Immobilized to the Conducting Polymer on the Carbon Felt Electrode

The activity of urease varies by its redox reaction. Active urease has an SH group that is essential to exhibit its activity, however, oxidation agents such as quinone compounds can oxidize the SH group in urease and a S–S bond is produced, resulting in the loss of enzyme activity. The reduction potential of cystine was almost the same as that of the recovery of urease activity. In this work, it has been found that the SH group of urease can be oxidized by not only chemical reaction but also by the direct electrode oxidation of urease and the produced S–S bond can be reduced to SH group by chemical and electrode reactions, and the original enzyme activity is recovered. This research shows that the regulation of urease activity is easily possible by changing the electrode potential of the porous carbon felt immobilized urease. The variation of urease activity was monitored by ammonia or carbon dioxide electrode equipped with the urease immobilized carbon felt, and the ammonia or carbon oxide generated from urea can transfer through the carbon felt to reach the each gas permeable membrane. The combination of gas electrode with porous conducting material such as carbon can supply the novel device for the electrochemical investigation of enzyme activity.     

Liquid crystal-based sensors for the detection of heavy metals using surface-immobilized urease

In this study, a new method for the detection of heavy metals in aqueous phase was developed using liquid crystals (LCs). When UV-treated nematic LC, 4-cyano-4'-pentyl biphenyl (5CB) that was confined in the urease-modified gold grid was immersed in a urea solution, an optical response from bright to dark was observed under a polarized microscope, indicating that a planar-to-homeotropic orientational transition of the LC occurred at the aqueous/LC interface. Since urease hydrolyzes urea to produce ammonia, which would be ionized into ammonium and hydroxide ions, the main product of the photochemically degraded 5CB, 4-cyano-4'-biphenylcarboxylic acid (CBA), was deprotonated and self-assembled at the interface, inducing the orientational transition in the LC. Due to the high sensitivity and rapid response of this system, detection of heavy metal ions was further exploited. The divalent copper ion, which could effectively inhibit the activity of urease, was used as a model heavy metal ion. The optical appearance of the LC did not change when urea was in contact with the copper nitrate hydrate-blocked urease. After the copper-inhibited urease was reactivated by EDTA, a bright-to-dark shift in the optical signal was regenerated, indicating an orientational transition of the LC. This type of LC-based sensor shows high spatial resolution due to its optical characteristics and therefore could potentially be used to accurately monitor the presence of enzyme inhibitors such as heavy metal ions in real-time.     

Determination of mercury(II) traces in drinking water by inhibition of an urease reactor in a flow injection analysis (FIA) system

 The integration of an urease reactor into a gas diffusion flow injection system was investigated for the determination of urease inhibitors. The enzyme was immobilized by entrapping in polyacrylamide gel. Besides copper and silver ions mercury ions inhibit the conversion of urea to carbon dioxide and ammonia catalysed by urease. The pH change of the carrier solution caused by the ammonia released was measured potentiometrically with a pH electrode. The inhibition behaviour of Hg(II) ions was investigated. A linear range from 2 to 20 μg L^-1 Hg(II) was obtained after a 90 s inhibition, with a correlation coefficient of r=0.9997. The relative standard deviation was 1.4% for five measurements of 2 μg L^-1Hg(II). A sample frequency of 7 h^-1 was achieved. The inhibited enzyme can be reactivated. The method was applied to the determination of Hg(II) in two drinking water samples. Received: 16 April 1996/Revised: 3 June 1996/Accepted: 11 June 1996     

Enzyme and inhibition assay of urease by continuous monitoring of the ammonium formation based on capillary electrophoresis

We present here an easy‐to‐operate and efficient method for enzyme and inhibition assays of urease, which is a widely distributed and important enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and CO₂. The assay was achieved by integrating CE technique and rapid on‐line derivatization method, allowing us to continuously drive the sample to the capillary, thus to measure the amount of the product ammonia from the beginning to the end of the reaction. The method exhibits excellent repeatability with RSD as low as 2.5% for the initial reaction rate (n = 5), with the LOD of ammonia of 20 μM (S/N = 5). The enzyme activity as well as the inhibition of urease by Cu²⁺ were investigated using the present method. The results show that Cu²⁺ is a noncompetitive inhibitor on urease, in accordance with the result published in the literature. The enzyme activity and inhibition kinetic constants were obtained and were found to be consistent with the results of traditional off‐line enzyme assays. Our study indicates that the present approach is a reliable and convenient method for analysis of the urease activity and inhibition kinetics by continuous on‐line monitoring of the ammonium formation based on CE.     

土壤铜污染的微生物及酶学指标研究

通过室内培养试验,研究了土壤铜污染对土壤微生物基础呼吸及土壤脲酶、脱氢酶、酸性磷酸酶的影响。结果表明,土壤微生物基础呼吸在低水平铜（≤100mg／kg）添加下呈现出先上升后下降的趋势,而随着土壤铜添加水平的进一步提高（〉100mg／kg）,微生物基础呼吸作用迅速增强;土壤脲酶则随着铜含量的增加呈现出不断下降趋势,土壤磷酸酶活性则在低水平下上升而随着添加水平的进一步提高迅速降低。可见,这两种酶对土壤铜毒害反应灵敏,可作为土壤铜污染评价的指标;而土壤脱氢酶则对铜含量的变化没有表现出明显的统计规律性,不适宜作为土壤铜污染评价的酶学指标。     

大豆中脲酶活力的玻璃电极法测定

本文用玻璃电极电位法研究了大豆及脲酶制剂中脲酶活力的测定和酶的反应动力学，测定了米氏常数ＫＭ以及酶催化反应最大速度ｒｍ，方法快捷简便。     

Elaboration of Urease Adsorption on Silicalite for Biosensor Creation

A possibility of efficient urease adsorption on silicalite for the purpose of biosensor creation was investigated. The procedure of urease adsorption on silicalite is notable for such advantages as simple and fast performance and non‐use of toxic or auxiliary compounds. Optimal conditions for modifying transducer surfaces with silicalite and subsequent urease adsorption on these surfaces were selected. The working parameters of the created biosensor were optimized. The developed biosensor with adsorbed urease was characterized by good intra‐reproducibility (RSD – 4.5 %), improved inter‐reproducibility (RSD of urea determination is 9 %) and operational stability (less than 10 % loss of activity after 10 days). Besides, the developed method for enzyme adsorption on silicalite was compared with the traditional methods of urease immobilization in biosensorics. Working conditions of the produced biosensor (pH and ionic strength) were shown to be close to those of the biosensor based on urease immobilized in GA vapor. For these reasons, it was concluded that the method of enzyme adsorption on silicalite is well‐suited for biosensor standardization aimed at its further manufacture.     

pH-Sensitive Oscillatory Motion of a Urease Motor on the Urea Aqueous Phase

A self-propelled object coupled with an enzyme reaction between urease and urea was investigated at the air/aqueous interface. A plastic object that was fixed to a urease-immobilized filter paper was used as a self-propelled object, termed a urease motor, placed on an aqueous urea solution. The driving force of the urease motor is the difference in the surface tension around the object. Oscillatory motion or no motion was triggered depending on the initial pH of the urea solution. Both the frequency and maximum speed of the oscillatory motion varied depending on the initial pH of the water phase. The mechanisms underlying the oscillatory motion and no motion were discussed in relation to the bell-shaped enzyme activity of urease in the enzyme reaction and the surface tension around the urease motor.     

Increased electrophoretic mobility of sodium sulfite-treated jack bean urease.

Sodium sulfite is a widely used activity-protective agent for the storage of urease. However, this reagent produces a 10% increase in the anodic electrophoretic mobility of native urease. Changes in the hydrodynamic properties of the enzyme are not involved in that modification. The observed change is related to an increased negative charge of the protein molecule in the presence of sodium sulfite. The results are discussed in terms of sulfitolysis of the single disulfide bond in the urease monomer. It is remarkable that the modification occurs at neutral pH. Our results show that removing sodium sulfite and reversing its effect by treatment with 2-mercaptoethanol are required prior to any study involving native urease.     

New Urea Biosensor Based on Urease Enzyme Obtained from Helycobacter pylori

The urease enzyme of Helicobacter pylori was isolated from biopsy sample obtained from antrum big curvature cell extracts. A new urea biosensor was prepared by immobilizing urease enzyme isolated from Helicobacter pylori on poly(vinylchloride) (PVC) ammonium membrane electrode by using nonactine as an ammonium ionophore. The effect of pH, buffer concentration, and temperature for the biosensor prepared with urease from H. pylori were obtained as 6.0, 5 mM, and 25 °C, respectively. We also investigated urease concentration, stirring rate, and enzyme immobilization procedures in response to urea of the enzyme electrode. The linear working range of the biosensor extends from 1 × 10(-5) to 1 × 10(-2) M and they showed an apparent Nernstian response within this range. Urea enzyme electrodes prepared with urease enzymes obtained from H. pylori and Jack bean based on PVC membrane ammonium-selective electrode showed very good analytical parameters: high sensitivity, dynamic stability over 2 months with less decrease of sensitivity, response time 1-2 min. The analytical characteristics were investigated and were compared those of the urea biosensor prepared with urease enzyme isolated from Jack bean prepared at the same conditions. It was observed that rapid determinations of human serum urea amounts were also made possible with both biosensors.     

Deactivation of jack bean urease in urea hydrolysis

Deactivation studies of jack bean urease immobilized on porous alumina beads in the hydrolysis of urea were conducted in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) at a temperature of 25°C and pH 7.0. Though the mechanism of poisoning of urease by product ammonia is fairly well understood from the literature, the nature of the poisoning of urease by urea is presented in this article. These studies were conducted by adsorbing the ammonia formed in the hydrolysis reaction. The results indicate that, in the presence of the adsorbent Zeolite W, the deactivation rate is reduced by a factor of almost two, and thus provide a technique for prolonging the life of the enzyme. The deactivation model suggests that the free form of the enzyme is most susceptible to attack by the substrate urea. The experimental data suggest that deactivation by combined ammonia and urea is fairly complex.     

Byssus Thread: A Novel Support Material for Urease Immobilization

Byssus threads are tough biopolymer produced by mussels (Mytilus viridis) to attach themselves to rocks. These were collected from mussels in their natural habitat (N) and from animals maintained in laboratory condition (L) as a novel support. Byssus thread surfaces were characterized by SEM analysis, chemically modified and used for adsorption of urease. The efficiency of the immobilization was calculated by examining the relative enzyme activity of free and the immobilized urease. The pH stabilities of immobilized urease were higher (0.5 unit) than free enzyme. Immobilized enzymes on byssus (both N and L) when stored at 6 °C retained 50% of its activity after 30 days, but they were more stable in dry condition. The optimum temperature of immobilized enzymes was found to increase (25 °C). A Michaelis-Menten constant (K (m)) value for immobilized urease was also elevated (2.08 mol).     

Flow injection analysis as a diagnostic technique for development and testing of chemical sensors

An immobilized urease sensor is developed for continuous, on-line analysis. The sensor consists of the enzyme urease, cross-linked with bovine serum albumin into a cellulose pad, with an acid-base indicator dye covalently bound to the surface of the cellulose. The sensor is placed within a flow-injection optosensing system to monitor the change in pH, and subjected to a through evaluation, using the flow-injection technique; sensor stability (both dye and enzyme stability), speed of sensor response, sensor sensitivity, sensor-to-sensor reproducibility, response to a typical interferent, and sensor lifetime data are obtained. Sensor poisoning upon exposure to low levels of mercury, and subsequent regeneration of the immobilized enzyme pad, is investigated for use as an on-line mercury sensor. The urea sensor is also evaluated for use as a continuous monitor for urea in kidney dialysate. Enzyme Michaelis-Menten constants are determined for the immobilized urease, under given assay conditions, using a stopped-flow flow-injection technique.     

Immobilization of Urease on (HEMA/IA) Hydrogel Prepared by Gamma Radiation

In the present study, the copolymeric hydrogels based on 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and itaconic acid (IA) were synthesized by gamma radiation induced radical polymerization, in order to examine the potential use of these hydrogels in immobilization of Citrullus vulgaris urease. Gelation and Swelling properties of PHEMA and copolymeric P (HEMA/IA) hydrogels with different IA contents (96.5/3.5, 94.4/5.6 and 92.5/7.5 mol) were studied in a wide pH range. Initial studies of so-prepared hydrogels show interesting pH sensitivity in swelling and immobilization. C. vulgaris urease was immobilized on HEMA/IA (92.5/7.5) at 6 kGy with 41.3% retention of activity. The properties of free and immobilized urease were compared. Immobilized urease maintained a higher relative activity than free urease at both lower and higher pH levels, indicating that the immobilized urease was less sensitive to pH changes than the free urease. The K_m value of the immobilized urease was approximately 2 times higher than that of the free urease. Temperature stability was improved for immobilized enzyme. The free form exhibited a loss about 80% of activity upon incubation for 15 min at 80°C. The influence of various heavy metal ions at the concentration of l mM was improved after enzyme immobilization. The immobilization of C. vulgaris urease on HEMA/IA (92.5/7.5) at 6 kGy showed a residual activity of 47 % after 4 reuses.     

Controlling the charge of pH-responsive redox hydrogels by means of redox-silent biocatalytic processes. A biocatalytic off/on switch

Coupling of redox-silent biocatalytic processes for analyte detection with enzyme-catalyzed redox reactions for signal generation is proposed by the modulation of electrostatic interactions between a pH-responsive polymer and a redox enzyme to control the off–on transition for electrochemical signal generation. Glassy carbon electrodes are modified with a poly(vinyl)imidazole Os(bipyridine)₂Cl redox hydrogel film entrapping urease and PQQ-dependent glucose dehydrogenase, while glucose is present in the solution. The off–on transition is based on the detection of urea as model analyte which is hydrolyzed to ammonia by urease within the hydrogel film concomitantly increasing the local pH value thus invoking deprotonation of the imidazole groups at the polymer backbone. The decrease of positive charges at the polymer decreases electrostatic repulsion between the polymer and the positively charged PQQ-dependent glucose dehydrogenase. Hence, electron transfer rates between polymer-bound Os complexes and PQQ inside the enzyme are enhanced activating electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose. This process generates the electrochemical signal for urea detection.     

Immobilization of urease in poly(1-vinyl imidazole)/poly(acrylic acid) network

In this study, urease was immobilized in a polymer network obtained by complexation of poly(1-vinyl imidazole) (PVI) with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Preparation of the polymer network was monitored by FT-IR spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that enzyme immobilization had a strong effect on film morphology. Proton conductivity of the PVI/PAA network was measured via impedance spectroscopy under humidified conditions. Values of the Michaelis-Menten constant (K _M) for immobilized urease were higher than for the free enzyme, indicating a decreased affinity of the enzyme to its substrate. The basic characteristics (pH_opt, pH_stability, T _opt, T _stability, reusability, and storage stability) of immobilized urease were determined. The results show that the PAA/PVI polymer network is suitable for enzyme immobilization.     

Selective effects of smectite-organic complexes on the activities of immobilized enzymes

Smectite-organic complexes may adsorb enzymes by hydrophobic bonding mechanisms. The complexes are prepared by saturating the exchange capacity of smectite clay with organic cations; in this study hexa-decyltrimethylammonium⁺ trimethylphenylammonium⁺, hexadecylpyridinium⁺ and [Fe(bipyridyl)₃]²⁺ cations were used. The immobilized enzyme may or may not be active depending upon the nature of the organic species comprising the smectite-organic complex and the nature of the enzyme. Loading capacities of the smectite-organic complexes for urease varied greatly (from 1 to 40 mg urease per 100 mg adsorbent). Enzymes immobilized on these surfaces were less thermally stable than when in homogeneous solution. Differences in thermal stability were also found between the matrices. The immobilized enzymes were much more easily acted upon by the hydrolytic enzyme, pronase, unless the pronase itself is inactive on the matrix. It is suggested that similar organo-clay-enzyme complexes may be useful as models for enzymes in natural systems, and for industrial and medical applications.     

Effect of thermosensitive matrix-phase transition on urease-catalyzed urea hydrolysis

Temperature dependencies of kinetic and equilibrium parameters of urea hydrolysis catalyzed by native urease and the urease immobilized in a thermosensitive poly-N-isopropylacrylamide gel have been studied. The swelling ratio of the collapsed urease-containing gel is shown to increase in the presence of urea. Below a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the polymer, the immobilized u reaseactually has thesame catalytic properties as the native enzyme. At temperatures above LCST, the observed catalytic activity of the immobilized enzyme depends chiefly not only on the thermoreversible matrix state, but also on gel water content.