Structure-activity of cutinase, a small lipolytic enzyme

Cutinase, a small lipolytic enzyme, is the smallest member of the alpha/bet a-hydrolase fold family, to which the other lipases belong. Cutinase has a catalytic activity comparable to that of pancreatic lipase on short chain t riglycerides, and retains a significant activity on long chain triglyceride s. Cutinase has been extensively studied using site-directed mutagenesis, a nd we have thoroughly characterized it from a structural point of view. Bes ides the native enzyme, tens of mutants and several inhibitor complexes hav e been solved, providing a complete and precise picture of the structure, d ynamics and catalytic machinery of cutinase. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.