The roles that accessory gene products play in activating the Helicobacter pylori urease apoprotein were examined. The activity of the urease apoprotein increased in the following order when it was expressed with the accessory genes: ureG<ureGH<ureFGH<ureEFGH<ureIEFGH. Moreover, stepwise additions of ureE and ureI to ureFGH significantly increased urease activity. Urease apoproteins coexpressed with ureFGH, ureEFGH, and ureIEFGH had similar low chymotrypsin susceptibilities. In vivo and in vitro activation studies showed that the cooperative effect of the accessory proteins involved processes in which the UreFGH complex, UreE, and UreI were implicated. Thus, the UreFGH complex may serve to alter the conformation of the apoprotein into one that is more competent to assemble a stable metallocenter, and that facilitates cooperative effects.