Creatine Amidinohydrolase (CRH)

The optimal conditions for growing A. ureafaciens for producing maximum amounts of creatinine hydrolase and creatine amidinohydrolase relative to total protein are described. This required a medium in which either creatinine or creatine was the sole source of carbon. The specific activity of a crude, cell-free sonicate of creatinine hydrolase was increased 110- to 140-fold by a series of purification steps including heat treatment which inactivated creatine amidinohydrolase, precipitation of nucleic acids with streptomycin, ammonium sulfate precipitation of inert proteins.