[Studies on urease from the seeds of Citrullus vulgaris: action of chemical agents and ionizing radiations].

Urease obtained from seeds of Citrullus vulgaris fruits has been studied under three points of view: a) the effect of the urea analogs acetamide and hydroxi-urea on the enzyme kinetic b) the action of the sulfhydryl reagents and the reactivation agents on the enzyme c) the effect of X-rays and the protective action of the cysteamine. The Berthelot reaction for the determination of the liberated NH3 was used enzyme activity. Acetamide has no effect on urease kinetic. Hidroxy-urea which produces a typical green color when it is mixed with the Berthelot reagents at high concentrations, when properly diluted acts a aompetitive inhibitor of urease. Spectrophotometric experiments suggest that the studied urease decomposes hydroxi-urea with liberation of hydroxilamine. The sulphydril reagent, p-hydroxi-mercuribenzoate inhibits the enzime. Cysteine and dithiotreitol reactivate the enzyme activity in no more then 50% even when excess of the substances is used. Probably only in the first step of the urea hydrolysis, the enzyme behaves as a typical SH-enzyme. Urease is very sensitive to X-rays. Cysteamine acts as a protective agent of the enzyme. Dithiotreitol reinforces this protective action. This effect is clearly observed when the Fisbein catalytic method for urease is employed.