Three-dimensional structures of a number of lipases determined in the past decade have provided a solid structural foundation for our understanding of lipase function. The structural studies of Candida rugosa lipase summarized here have addressed many fac

The recent development in the structure-function relationship of pancreatic phospholipase A2 is reviewed. The results of extensive studies by a combination of site-directed mutagenesis, X-ray crystallography, and NMR have provided new insight into several old issues. In particular, we summarize current views on the active site, the interfacial binding site, the mechanism of interfacial activation, the roles of the hydrogen-bonding network and the catalytic dyad, and the conformational stability of the structure.