SUBSTRATE-SPECIFICITY OF LIPASES IN PROTEASE PREPARATIONS

Commercial protease preparations have been screened for their biocatal ytic activity in the esterification of various fatty acids with 1-buta nol. Of all protease preparations tested, only those from pineapple (b romelain) and Rhizopus sp. were found to contain active lipases. Simil ar to lipases from microorganisms, animals, and plants, such as papaya (Carica papaya) latex, lipases in the protease preparations of bromel ain and Rhizopus sp. strongly discriminated against fatty acids having a cis-4 unsaturation, for example, all-cis-4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexa enoic acid, cis-6 unsaturation, for example, petroselinic (cis-6-octad ecenoic), gamma-linolenic (all-cis-6,9,12-octadecatrienoic), and stear idonic (all-cis-6,9,12,15-octadecatetraenoic) acid, as well as cis-8 u nsaturation, for example, dihomo-gamma-linolenic (all-cis-8,11,14-eico satrienoic) acid. Fatty acids having a cis-9 unsaturation, for example , oleic (cis-9-octadecenoic) and alpha-linolenic (all-cis-9,12,15-octa decatrienoic) acids, were very well accepted as substrates by both pro tease preparations. Fatty acids having hydroxy groups, for example, ri cinoleic (12-hydroxy-cis-9-octadecenoic) and 12-hydroxystearic acid, e poxy groups, for example, trans-9,10-epoxystearic acid, and cyclopente nyl groups, for example, hydnocarpic [(11-(2'-cyclopentenyl)undecanoic ] and chaulmoogric [13-(2'-cyclopentenyl)tridecanoic] acid, were also well accepted as substrates by both enzyme preparations.