Substrate specificity of Staphylococcus aureus (TEN5) lipases with isomeric oleoyl-sn-glycerol ethers as substrates

Stereoselectivity of microbial lipases. The substitution at position sn-2 of triacylglycerol analogs influences the stereoselectivity of different microbial lipases

In the present study, the stereoselectivity of purified lipases from Candida rugosa, Chromobacterium viscosum, Pseudomonas species and Rhizopus arrhizus towards triacylglycerols in comparison to various structural analogs were investigated. Different triacylglycerol analogs with distinct polarities at position sn-2 of the glycerol backbone (1,3-diacyl-2-X-glycerol, where 2-X = 2-acyloxy, 2-alkyloxy, 2-deoxy-2-alkyl, or 2-deoxy-2-phenyl) were synthesized. Substrate hydrophobicity and steric requirement was modified by variation of the alkyl and acyl chain length. Hydrolysis of these substrates demonstrated that minor structural variations at C2 of triacylglycerol strongly affect the stereoselectivity of the lipases tested. It was noteworthy that the variation of substrate structure did not only affect the quantity of stereoselectivity expressed as percentage enantiomeric excess, but also resulted in a reversal of stereopreference in some cases. Replacement of the acylester in position 2 of glycerol by a non-ester-linked aliphatic moiety shifted the preference of Chromobacterium viscosum lipase from sn-3 to sn-1. Lipases from Chromobacterium viscosum. Pseudomonas species and Rhizopus arrhizus exhibited sn-3 preference with 2-deoxy-2-phenyl analogs, while towards substrates with a 2-deoxy-2-alkyl moiety sn-1 stereobias was recorded. Candida rugosa lipase was rather insensitive to substrate variations concerning the polarity at position 2 of the glycerol backbone. However, variation of the acyl chain length significantly influenced stereoselectivity of this lipase.

[The characterization of microbial lipases. 2. The determination of lipase specificity]

Types of lipase specificity are as follows: Positional specificity; fatty acid specificity; stereospecificity; substrate specificity (different rates of lipolysis of different glyceride classes. The acylglycerol used for determination of lipase specificity must be so structured, that specificities are not confused and unambiguous results are obtained. Different substrates and methods for detection of specificity are reviewed and advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Positional specificity can be determined with synthetic dialkylacylglycerols and 2,3-dioleoyl butanediol. Stereospecificity can be detected with enantiomeric dialkylacylglycerols or diacylalkylglycerols.