Knowledge of bacterial lipolytic enzymes is increasing at a rapid and exciting rate. To obtain an overview of this industrially very important class of enzymes and their characteristics, we have collected and classified the information available from protein and nucleotide databases. Here we propose an updated and extensive classification of bacterial esterases and lipases based mainly on a comparison of their amino acid sequences and some fundamental biological properties. These new insights result in the identification of eight different families with the largest being further divided into six subfamilies. Moreover, the classification enables us to predict (1) important structural features such as residues forming the catalytic site or the presence of disulphide bonds, (2) types of secretion mechanism and requirement for lipase-specific foldases, and (3) the potential relationship to other enzyme families. This work will therefore contribute to a faster identification and to an easier characterization of novel bacterial lipolytic enzymes.
Title: A novel heat-stable lipolytic enzyme from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius DSM 639 displaying similarity to polyhydroxyalkanoate depolymerases Arpigny JL, Jendrossek D, Jaeger KE Ref: FEMS Microbiology Letters, 167:69, 1998 : PubMed
A fragment of genomic DNA from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius DSM 639 encoding a lipolytic enzyme was cloned and sequenced. The 314-amino acid polypeptide displays a maximum sequence similarity (43%) to a putative polyhydroxyalkanoate depolymerase from Pseudomonas oleovorans and contains the pentapeptide G-X1-S-X2-G which is typical of serine hydrolases. The protein is highly thermostable and is able to hydrolyse a variety of lipid substrates thus providing a promising tool for potential biotechnological applications.
Title: Corrigendum to Cloning, sequence and structural features of a lipase from the antarctic facultative psychrophile Psychrobacter immobilis B10 [Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1171 (1993) 331-333] Arpigny JL, Feller G, Gerday C Ref: Biochimica & Biophysica Acta, 1263:103, 1995 : PubMed
A lipase gene (lip1) from the facultative psychrophilic strain Psychrobacter immobilis B10 has been cloned and sequenced. The deduced preprotein sequence is composed of 317 amino acids with a predicted M(r) of 35,288. A primary structure alignment of lipases including lip1 shows conserved elements for which a structural role is proposed in the light of recent crystallographic studies. The analysis of the psychrophilic enzyme sequence suggests characteristics in relation with the adaptation to cold.
Title: Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of three lipase-encoding genes from the psychrotrophic antarctic strain Moraxella TA144 Feller G, Thiry M, Arpigny JL, Gerday C Ref: Gene, 102:111, 1991 : PubMed
The cloning and expression of genes from a psychrotrophic bacterium in a mesophilic host are described. Three lipase (Lip)-encoding genes (lip) from the antarctic psychrotroph, Moraxella TA144, were cloned by inserting Sau3AI-generated DNA fragments into the BamHI site of the pSP73 plasmid vector. To prevent heat denaturation of the gene product, the screening procedure on agar plates containing an emulsified lipid involved growing of Escherichia coli recombinant colonies at 25 degrees C followed by incubation at 0 degree C. The three recombinant (reLip) were cell-associated and differed by their respective specificity towards p-nitrophenyl esters of various aliphatic chain lengths. These cloned reLip conserved the main character of the wild-type enzymes, i.e. a dramatic shift of the optimal temperature of activity towards low temperatures and pronounced heat lability.
