Lipases (glycerol ester hydrolases; EC 3.1.1.3) are important enzymes
which, due to their ability to catalyze a number of reactions, are rec
eiving considerable interest from both academia and industry. The bact
erial genus Pseudomonas is a prolific producer of a number of extracel
lular 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 m
ade 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.