Mechanisms of regulation of urease biosynthesis in Proteus rettgeri

A Case of Wound Infection with Providencia rettgeri and Coincident Gout in a Patient from Guam

Providencia rettgeri (P. rettgeri) is a ubiquitous organism that is infrequently associated with human disease. Here we report the isolation of this organism from a polymicrobial wound infection resulting from ruptured tophi on a 54-year-old male patient from Guam. We describe the identification and confirmation of this organism, and propose metabolic synergy as a possible mechanism of pathogenesis. To our knowledge, this is the first published report of a wound infection colonized by P. rettgeri from Guam, and the first report to speculate upon the role of bacterial synergy in P. rettgeri pathogenesis.

Urea transport in bacteria: acid acclimation by gastric Helicobacter spp

Urea transporters in bacteria are relatively rare. There are three classes, the ABC transporters such as those expressed by cyanobacteria and Corynebacterium glutamicum, the Yut protein expressed by Yersinia spp and the UreI expressed by gastric Helicobacter spp. This review focuses largely on the UreI proton-gated channel that is part of the acid acclimation mechanism essential for gastric colonization by the latter. UreI is a six-transmembrane polytopic integral membrane protein, N and C termini periplasmic, and is expressed in all gastric Helicobacter spp that have been studied but also in Helicobacter hepaticus and Streptococcus salivarius. The first two are proton-gated, the latter is pH insensitive. Site-directed mutagenesis and chimeric constructs have identified histidines and dicarboxylic amino acids in the second periplasmic loop of H. pylori and the first loop of H. hepaticus UreI and the C terminus of both as involved in a hydrogen-bonding dependence of proton gating, with the membrane domain in these but not in the UreI of S. salivarius responding to the periplasmic conformational changes. UreI and urease are essential for gastric colonization and urease associates with UreI during acid exposure, facilitating activation of the UreA and UreB apoenzyme complex by Ni2+ insertion by the UreF-UreH and UreE-UreG assembly proteins. Transcriptome analysis of acid responses of H. pylori also identified a cytoplasmic and periplasmic carbonic anhydrase as responding specifically to changes in periplasmic pH and these have been shown to be essential also for acid acclimation. The finding also of upregulation of the two-component histidine kinase HP0165 and its response element HP0166, illustrates the complexity of the acid acclimation processes involved in gastric colonization by this pathogen.

Free and microencapsulated Lactobacillus and effects of metabolic induction on urea removal

We have previously reported the experimental use of genetically engineered Escherichia coli with microencapsulation to lower nitrogenous waste. Concern has surfaced, nonetheless, about safety of genetically engineered product. The purpose of this study is to explore the alternative use of probiotics in removal of plasma urea. After repeated cycles of exposure of Lactobacillus delbrueckii in urea-rich medium under anaerobic environment, the organisms were demonstrated to lower plasma urea concentration in vitro. Suspension of Lactobacillus in uremic plasma reduced the urea nitrogen levels from 51.5 +/- 5.2 mg/dL to 44.3 +/- 3.9 mg/dL (P = 0.02) after 24 hours. With microencapsulation of Lactobacillus (inside semipermeable alginate-polylysine-alginate polymeric membrane), further lowering of urea nitrogen levels was achieved (35.4 +/- 0.8 mg/dL, P = 0.03) at 24 hours. These preliminary data show that expression of certain enzymes could be induced in Lactobacillus delbrueckii and thus capable of lowering plasma urea. Further studies and molecular analysis would be indicated to explore and refine the techniques.

Potential virulence factors of Proteus bacilli

The object of this review is the genus Proteus, which contains bacteria considered now to belong to the opportunistic pathogens. Widely distributed in nature (in soil, water, and sewage), Proteus species play a significant ecological role. When present in the niches of higher macroorganisms, these species are able to evoke pathological events in different regions of the human body. The invaders (Proteus mirabilis, P. vulgaris, and P. penneri) have numerous factors including fimbriae, flagella, outer membrane proteins, lipopolysaccharide, capsule antigen, urease, immunoglobulin A proteases, hemolysins, amino acid deaminases, and, finally, the most characteristic attribute of Proteus, swarming growth, enabling them to colonize and survive in higher organisms. All these features and factors are described and commented on in detail. The questions important for future investigation of these facultatively pathogenic microorganisms are also discussed.

The influence of pH and urine composition on urease enzymatic activity in human urine

It is reasonable to assume that the rate of pH increase in urine induced by urease-producing microorganisms is one of the factors which determine whether crystallisation with subsequent stone formation will occur or not. To evaluate how the time needed to increase urine pH varies between different urine samples and how it depends on urine composition, a standardised amount of urease was added to different human urine samples. The incubations were performed in a pH-stat. This allowed simultaneous study of how urease enzymatic activity depends on urine pH and how it varies between different urines. The enzymatic activity was found to be negatively correlated to urine pH and to vary between different urines. The rate of the pH increase varied markedly between different urines. Small pH increases depended on the native urine pH and urease enzymatic activity. Higher pH increases up to the levels of phosphate crystallisation depended more on urine phosphate, the major urine buffer. The results presented show that urine composition influences the urease-induced pH increase. This might have clinical implications.

pH regulation of urease levels in Streptococcus salivarius

Potential mechanisms for regulation of urease levels in Streptococcus salivarius were examined, including: induction by urea, nitrogen or carbon source repression, and effects of pH and CO2 (because CO2 enrichment enhanced urease detection on urea agar plates). Regulation by either pH or CO2 was confirmed by comparison of the urease accumulation pattern during anaerobic growth under CO2 with that under N2. Under CO2, there was an initial buffering plateau at pH 6.2 and a rate of Streptococcus salivarius urease accumulation three-fold that under N2, with a pH 7.6 plateau. With both gas phases there was also an increase in the rate of urease appearance coincident with the decrease in medium pH following the pH plateau. The effects of pH, CO2, and HCO3- on urease levels and on growth were separately assessed by culture in media containing 0, 25, 100 mmol/L KHCO3 buffered at different pH levels. There was an inverse relationship between the logarithm of the urease level after 24-hour growth and the pH during growth-the urease specific activity was 100-fold higher at pH 5.5, compared with pH 7.0 and above. HCO3-/CO2 (100 mmol/L) had little effect on urease levels, but was essential for growth at pH 5.5. There was no significant urease induction by urea, or repression by ammonia or glucose. There was also evidence of pH regulation of urease levels in some staphylococci, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Corynebacterium renale, but not in Actinomyces naeslundii and several other species. We conclude that the external pH is a major factor regulating urease levels in S. salivarius and possibly some other species-a mechanism equivalent to urease repression by OH-.

Microbial ureases: significance, regulation, and molecular characterization

Microbial ureases hydrolyze urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide. Urease activity of an infectious microorganism can contribute to the development of urinary stones, pyelonephritis, gastric ulceration, and other diseases. In contrast to these harmful effects, urease activity of ruminal and gastrointestinal microorganisms can benefit both the microbe and host by recycling (thereby conserving) urea nitrogen. Microbial ureases also play an important role in utilization of environmental nitrogenous compounds and urea-based fertilizers. Urease is a high-molecular-weight, multimeric, nickel-containing enzyme. Its cytoplasmic location requires that urea enter the cell for utilization, and in some species energy-dependent urea uptake systems have been detected. Eucaryotic microorganisms possess a homopolymeric urease, analogous to the well-studied plant enzyme composed of six identical subunits. Gram-positive bacteria may also possess homopolymeric ureases, but the evidence for this is not conclusive. In contrast, ureases from gram-negative bacteria studied thus far clearly possess three distinct subunits with Mrs of 65,000 to 73,000 (alpha), 10,000 to 12,000 (beta), and 8,000 to 10,000 (gamma). Tightly bound nickel is present in all ureases and appears to participate in catalysis. Urease genes have been cloned from several species, and nickel-containing recombinant ureases have been characterized. Three structural genes are transcribed on a single messenger ribonucleic acid and translated in the order gamma, beta, and then alpha. In addition to these genes, several other peptides are encoded in the urease operon of some species. The roles for these other genes are not firmly established, but may involve regulation, urea transport, nickel transport, or nickel processing.

Microbial ureases: significance, regulation, and molecular characterization

Microbial ureases hydrolyze urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide. Urease activity of an infectious microorganism can contribute to the development of urinary stones, pyelonephritis, gastric ulceration, and other diseases. In contrast to these harmful effects, urease activity of ruminal and gastrointestinal microorganisms can benefit both the microbe and host by recycling (thereby conserving) urea nitrogen. Microbial ureases also play an important role in utilization of environmental nitrogenous compounds and urea-based fertilizers. Urease is a high-molecular-weight, multimeric, nickel-containing enzyme. Its cytoplasmic location requires that urea enter the cell for utilization, and in some species energy-dependent urea uptake systems have been detected. Eucaryotic microorganisms possess a homopolymeric urease, analogous to the well-studied plant enzyme composed of six identical subunits. Gram-positive bacteria may also possess homopolymeric ureases, but the evidence for this is not conclusive. In contrast, ureases from gram-negative bacteria studied thus far clearly possess three distinct subunits with Mrs of 65,000 to 73,000 (alpha), 10,000 to 12,000 (beta), and 8,000 to 10,000 (gamma). Tightly bound nickel is present in all ureases and appears to participate in catalysis. Urease genes have been cloned from several species, and nickel-containing recombinant ureases have been characterized. Three structural genes are transcribed on a single messenger ribonucleic acid and translated in the order gamma, beta, and then alpha. In addition to these genes, several other peptides are encoded in the urease operon of some species. The roles for these other genes are not firmly established, but may involve regulation, urea transport, nickel transport, or nickel processing.

Multiple proteins encoded within the urease gene complex of Proteus mirabilis

Chromosomal DNA fragments from a uropathogenic isolate of Proteus mirabilis were inserted into the cosmid vector pHC79 to construct a genomic library in Escherichia coli HB101. A urease-positive recombinant cosmid, designated pSKW1, was recovered. Sequential recombinant manipulation of pSKW1 yielded a 10.2-kilobase plasmid, designated pSKW4, which encoded three urease isozymes with electrophoretic mobilities identical to those of the donor P. mirabilis strain. Plasmid pSKW4 gene sequences encode seven proteins designated 68K (apparent molecular weight, of 68,000), 28K, 25K, 22.5K, 18.5K, 7.5K, and 5.2K within the limits of the urease gene complex. Insertion mutations in genes encoding the 68K, 28K, 25K, 22.5K, 7.5K, and 5.2K proteins resulted in complete or partial (22.5K) loss of urease activity. There was no reduction in urease activity when the gene encoding the 18.5K protein was inactivated.

The ecology and pathogenicity of urease-producing bacteria in the urinary tract

Urease activity is a physiological function of many bacteria that enables these organisms to utilize urea as a source of nitrogen. The association of ureolytic bacteria with human or animal hosts varies widely from a commensal relationship as demonstrated with skin microflora, a symbiotic relationship in the gastrointestinal tract, to a pathogenic relationship in the urinary tract. Since similar or identical species of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus are found in all three environments, the effect of urease activity on the host must be solely a function of the environment of these organisms. In this review, the importance of urease to bacteria is discussed, identifying the gastrointestinal tract as a major reservoir of ureolytic bacteria and investigating the urinary tract environment and the infectious struvite stone production that often accompanies urease-producing bacteria there. Finally, an infection model is presented which explains the development and growth of these urinary calculi and their remarkable persistence in spite of modern urological treatments.

The inhibitory effect of human urine on urease-induced crystallization in vitro

To study whether human urine contains inhibitors against urease-induced crystallization, Jackbean urease and human urine, in amounts small enough (0.5 to 10 per cent) not to influence the ion concentration, buffering capacity or pH, were added to synthetic urine. The ammonia production and alkalinization that followed were independent of the amounts of human urine added. The addition of human urine gave a dose-related decrease in the amount of calcium phosphate and struvite precipitated on glass rods immersed in the synthetic urine, however. Addition of only 0.5 per cent human urine gave a reproducible decrease and when 10 per cent human urine was added to the synthetic urine the precipitation of calcium phosphate was reduced by 50 per cent and that of struvite by 75 per cent. The results thus indicate that human urine contains components with the ability to reduce the urease-induced crystallization.

Urinary calculi: microbiological and crystallographic studies

Although referred to as "urinary calculus disease", the formation of stone in the urinary tract is not caused by a single etiological agent. As such, diverse clinical investigations to diagnose the cause of stone formation must be carried out and the course of management after diagnosis must inevitably be different in each case. This review will cover all aspects of calculus formation, but will give particular attention to calculi caused by infection of the urinary tract with urease-producing bacteria. This is a recurrent, potentially life-threatening disease which has led clinicians to refer to the condition as "stone cancer". Because the etiology of infection stones is so different from stones caused by metabolic disorders, the two disease patterns should be considered separately, a fact often overlooked in epidemiological studies of stone formation. The importance of analysis of calculi as an aid to management is thus emphasized; identification of stone type will help to indicate appropriate therapy. A review of methods of analysis will be covered, particularly crystallographic analysis. Inhibition of bacterial urease as a means of management of infection stones will be discussed together with problems encountered and brighter hopes for the future.

Urease-induced crystallization in synthetic urine

The urease-induced crystallization of magnesium ammonium phosphate and calcium phosphate was studied at different alkalinization degrees by incubating synthetic urine with increasing Jack Bean urease concentrations. The crystallization was studied as precipitation on glass rods immersed in synthetic urine. The calcium phosphate precipitation on the glass rods occurred when the pH reached 6.8. Magnesium ammonium phosphate precipitation occurred when the pH reached 7.0. The maximal crystallization occurred at a pH between 7.5 and 8.0; at higher pHs the precipitation was considerably lower. The possible mechanisms and clinical implications behind this narrow pH optimum for urease-induced crystallization, which also have important implications for future experimental studies, are discussed.

Regulation by repression of urease biosynthesis in Proteus rettgeri

Measuring the specific enzyme activity in cells of Proteus rettgeri it was shown that urease formation is controlled by repression through ammonia. Derepressed synthesis of the enzyme, as initiated by the absence of ammonia, required an external nitrogen source, which may not only be urea, but also nitrate, glutamate or nutrient broth. In contradiction to earlier reports the observations indicated that urea is not required for the synthesis of this enzyme, and that, therefore, urease is not an inducible enzyme in this microorganism.

[Anabolic and catabolic enzymes of urea metabolism in a carbohydrate-utilizing strain of Candida guilliermondii]

The yeast "H" of the genus Candida guilliermondii can grow on hydrocarbons as the only source for carbon. Urea can serve as a nitrogen source for this yeast which lacks detectable urease activity. During urea metabolism ammonia has never been accumulated in the culture medium. However, transferring the yeast from complete urea-medium into an urea containing phophate-buffer, the degradation of urea continues and ammonia is accumulated as well as CO2 evolved. In cell-free extracts of the yeast urea amidolyase activity was detected in the presence of ATP, biotin and specific cations. Obviously, the synthesis of urea amidolyase is induced by urea and arginine and repressed by the catabolite ammonia. Similarly the synthesis of arginase is regulated by arginine and ammonia. The analytical data of the arginase action differ significantly in relation to the carbon source of the culture medium. Both the level of arginase and ornithine carbamyl-transferase change in a characteristic way during the batch-culture. From the lower level of arginase in relation to ornithine carbamyltransferase it can be concluded that especially in alkane-metabolizing yeast the arginine catabolism is not very intensive.

[Repression of urease biosynthesis in Neurospora crassa by ammonium ions]

The regulation of the synthesis of the enzyme urease (urea amido hydrolase E.C. 3.5.1.5.) in Neurospora crassa was investigated. The biosynthesis of urease is repressed by ammonium ions. Under ammonium excess conditions the specific activity of urease decreases from 0.980 to 0.180 mumoles NH3/min/mg protein. By addition of cycloheximide it was shown that ammonia influences the synthesis of this enzyme. Enzyme induction by the substrate could be excluded. Even under the conditions of highest repression a specific activity of urease of 0.180 mumoles NH3/min/mg protein was measured. Possible causes of this constitutive enzyme level are discussed.

Urea utilization by Leptospira

One representative of each of five different pathogenic serotypes of Leptospira as well as one saprophytic strain were capable of growing on medium containing urea in place of an ammonium salt as a nitrogen source. Growth of all of the organisms tested on 1% urea was substantial, but only those that exhibited strong urease activity could grow to any appreciable extent on urea at a concentration as high as 2%. Intact urea-grown cells of the pathogenic serotypes tested (grippotyphosa and icterohaemorrhagiae) exhibited urease activity, with the level of activity of the former being considerably greater. No urease could be detected in cells of the saprophytic strain. When the pathogenic leptospires were sonicated or treated with toluene, the urease activity was greatly enhanced. When cultivated on NH(4)Cl, neither intact nor disrupted cells of any of the strains tested exhibited any urease activity. Cells of the grippotyphosa and icterohaemorrhagiae strains exhibited diauxic growth when cultivated in the presence of both NH(4)Cl and urea, whereas only monophasic growth could be detected for the saprophytic test strain. The experimental data on urea utilization and urease activity, when considered in the light of previously reported findings on leptospiral pathology, renal physiology, and the role of urease in other bacterial infections, suggests a significant role for leptospiral urease (in addition to other factors) in determining localization of the organism in the kidney and contributing to the resultant kidney pathology.

Urea as sole source of nitrogen for plant growth : I. The development of urease activity in Spirodela oligorrhiza

Spirodela oligorrhiza grown in sterile culture was able to use urea as sole source of nitrogen but only when the pH of the culture medium was below 4.3. Plants inoculated into urea media at pH 6.4 initially made little growth and became nitrogen-deficient in appearance and composition although they contained about 100 μgrams of urea per gram fresh weight of tissue. After a period the pH of the medium usually fell below 4.3 and growth commenced. Growth with other compounds, e.g. ammonium, nitrate or allantoin, as sources of nitrogen was not similarly affected by the pH of the culture medium.Urease activity could always be detected in the tissues of Spirodela oligorrhiza growing on urea. Plants with little or no urease activity soon developed significant activity when inoculated into urea media at pH 4.0. When the pH of the medium was higher there was no increase in urease activity and no growth ensued. Plants growing on urea possessed an activity of about 50 milliunits per gram fresh weight of tissue, but if the pH of the medium fell to 3.5 or lower, the activity present rose to 10 times this level.Urease activity also appeared, in the absence of supplied urea, as plants became increasingly nitrogen-deficient.