Comparative Kinetic Studies of Two Staphylococcal Lipases Using the Monomolecular Film Technique

Using the monomolecular film technique, we compared the interfacial properties of Staphylococcus simulans lipase (SSL) and Staphylococcus aureus lipase (SAL). These two enzymes act specifically on glycerides without any detectable phospholipase activity when using various phospholipids. Our results show that the maximum rate of racemic dicaprin (rac-dicaprin) hydrolysis was displayed at pH 8.5, or 6.5 with Staphylococcus simulans lipase or Staphylococcus aureus lipase, respectively The two enzymes interact strongly with egg-phosphatidyl choline (egg-PC) monomolecular films, evidenced by a critical surface pressure value of around $23\;mN{\cdot}m^{-1}$. In contrast to pancreatic lipases, $\beta$-lactoglobulin, a tensioactive protein, failed to inhibit Staphylococcus simulans lipase and Staphylococcus aureus lipase. A kinetic study on the surface pressure dependency, stereoselectivity, and regioselectivity of Staphylococcus simulans lipase and Staphylococcus aureus lipase was performed using optically pure stereoisomers of diglycerides (1,2-sn-dicaprin and 2,3-sn-dicaprin) and a prochiral isomer (1,3-sn-dicaprin) that were spread as monomolecular films at the air-water interface. Both staphylococcal lipases acted preferentially on distal carboxylic ester groups of the diglyceride isomer (1,3-sn-dicaprin). Furthermore, Staphylococcus simulans lipase was found to be markedly stereoselective for the sn-3 position of the 2,3-sn-dicaprin isomer.