I am currently working on a project that will involve assaying for lipase activity from a microbial culture. I am interested in making sure that the hydrolytic activity observed during the assay is purely due to true lipases. I therefore wish to inhibit the activities of esterases in the culture medium without inhibiting lipase activity.
Two major classes of hydrolases are of utmost importance: (EC 3.1.1.1, carboxyl ester hydrolases) and lipases (EC 3.1.1.3, triacylglycerol hydrolases) Lipases are mainly active against water-insoluble substrates, such as triglycerides composed by long-chain fatty acids, whereas esterases preferentially hydrolyze ‘simple’ esters and usually only triglycerides composed by fatty acids shorter than C6. Lipases can be distinguished from carboxyl esterases by their substrate spectra, using p-nitrophenyl palmitate (cleaved by lipases) versus p-nitrophenyl butyrate (cleaved by esterases). Lipases can also be distinguished from esterases by the phenomenon of interfacial activation.
Good review about inhibitors attached.
Good luck!!
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