Ureases

Enzymes of EC class 3.5.1.5 that convert urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia. Ureases are used in the food industry for the removal of urea from foods and beverages — notably wine and sake, where eliminating urea prevents formation of the carcinogen ethyl carbamate during storage. They are also used analytically to measure urea concentrations, and have been employed to control pH during lactic fermentation, the released ammonia buffering acidity and thus enhancing lactic acid production. In nature, ureases are important virulence factors in certain bacterial pathogens (e.g., Helicobacter pylori, Proteus), linking this enzyme family to both food safety and medicine.