Electrical control of urease activity immobilized to the conducting polymer on the carbon felt electrode

The activity of urease varies by its redox reaction. Active urease has an SH group that is essential to exhibit its activity, however, oxidation agents such as quinone compounds can oxidize the SH group in urease and a S-S bond is produced, resulting in the loss of enzyme activity. The reduction potential of cystine was almost the same as that of the recovery of urease activity. In this work, it has been found that the SH group of urease can be oxidized by not only chemical reaction but also by the direct electrode oxidation of urease and the produced S - S bond can be reduced to SH group by chemical and electrode reactions, and the original enzyme activity is recovered. This research shows that the regulation of urease activity is easily possible by changing the electrode potential of the porous carbon felt immobilized urease. The variation of urease activity was monitored by ammonia or carbon dioxide electrode equipped with the urease immobilized carbon felt, and the ammonia or carbon oxide generated from urea can transfer through the carbon felt to reach the each gas permeable membrane. The combination of gas electrode with porous conducting material such as carbon can supply the novel device for the electrochemical investigation of enzyme activity.