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Defining Substrate Specificities for Lipase and Phospholipase Candidates
Published on: November 23, 2016
STUDIES ON FERMENT ACTION : VI. THE RELATION OF IMMUNE SERUM LIPASE TO HEMOLYSIS
1Morris Institute for Medical Research, Chicago.
The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|October 30, 2009
Summary
Serum lipase is not essential for hemolysis but is present in complement. This lipase, found in split complement, parallels complement strength across various animal sera, indicating its role in immune responses.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Hemolysis is a critical immune process involving serum components.
- The role of lipolytic activity in serum-mediated hemolysis has been debated.
- Complement serum contains lipase, a key enzyme in lipid metabolism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the necessity of specific lipase for immune hemolytic serum activity.
- To determine the localization and correlation of serum lipase with complement function.
Main Methods:
- Assessing hemolysis in the presence and absence of specific lipase.
- Analyzing the presence of lipase within the complement system.
- Comparing lipase content and complement strength across different animal species' sera.
Main Results:
- Specific lipase is not strictly required for hemolysis.
- A lipolytic action is still implicated due to lipase presence in complement.
- Serum lipase is localized in the end-piece of split complement.
- A direct correlation exists between lipase levels and complement strength in human, rabbit, guinea pig, sheep, ox, and cat sera.
Conclusions:
- While not exclusively necessary, lipolytic action is integral to serum hemolysis.
- Serum lipase is an intrinsic component of the complement system.
- The observed parallelism suggests serum lipase is a functional marker of complement activity.
