Small-angle X-ray scattering analysis of stearic acid modified lipase.

Stearic acid modified lipase (from Rhizopus japonicus) exhibited remarkable interesterification activity in n-hexane, but crude native lipase did not. The structure of the fatty acid modified lipase had not been analyzed until now. We analyzed the modified lipase by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements in order to clarify the structure. SAXS measurements showed that the modified lipase consisted of a lipid lamellar structure and implied that the lipase was incorporated into the lamellar structure of stearic acid. The long spacings in the lamellar structures of the modified lipase and stearic acid were measured.