Stefano Ciurli

TL;DR: In this article, the authors assess the progress, opportunities, and challenges in this emerging field, which consists of a geochemical reaction regulated by subsurface microbiology, including mineral precipitation, gas generation, biofilm formation and biopolymer generation.

TL;DR: The mode of binding of the inhibitor, and a comparison between the native and inhibited urease structures, indicate a novel mechanism for enzymatic urea hydrolysis which reconciles the available structural and biochemical data.

TL;DR: Crystal structures of inhibitor complexes and mechanisms involving coordination of the enediolate have been proposed, as have mechanisms that involve activatingmetal-bound water molecules to serve as catalytic bases without binding the substrate to the metal.

TL;DR: More recent advances are discussed in the comprehension of the specific role of Ni(2+) in the catalysis and the interplay between Ni( 2+) and other metal ions, such as Zn(2-) and Fe(2+), in the metal-dependent enzyme activity.

TL;DR: In this article, 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.