Separate Expression and in vitro Activation of Recombinant Helicobacter pylori Urease Structural Subunits

Each of the recombinant structural genes of Helicobacter pylori urease, ureA and ureB, was cloned and overexpressed as inclusion bodies. Solubilization and renaturation of the inclusion bodies were carried out, to accelerate the pairing of sulfhydryl groups and the incorporation of nickel ions, which would lead to the native structure with high enzyme activity. Rates of urea hydrolysis were monitored as an indication of in vitro activation of renatured ureases. The activation of the apoprotein using 1 mM nickel ion, 100 mM sodium bicarbonate and a 10:1 ratio of reducing power resulted in a weak urease activity (about 11% of the native urease activity encoded by pTZ 19R/ure-l). When a sparse matrix screen method originally discovered for the crystallization of proteins was used, the activity increased higher than that obtained using glutathione. The effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the activity was noticeable, giving two-fold increase in the specific activity (about 11 U/mg of protein corresponding to 22% of the native urease activity encoded by pTZ19R/ure-1).