Pseudomonas lipases: biochemical properties and molecular cloning

Lipases (glycerol ester hydrolases; EC 3.1.1.3) are important enzymes which, due to their ability to catalyze a number of reactions, are receiving considerable interest from both academia and industry. The bacterial genus Pseudomonas is a prolific producer of a number of extracellular enzymes including lipase. This review summarizes the biochemical properties and recent advances in the molecular genetic analysis of a wide variety of Pseudomonas lipases. In particular, a comparison is made between the amino acid sequences of the various lipases as well as their secondary gene products, which are thought to be essential for secretion of the enzyme.