The grease trap: uncovering the mechanism of the hydrophobic lid in lipase.

Acne is one of the most common dermatological conditions, but the details of its pathology are unclear, and current management regimens often have adverse effects. is known as a major acne-associated bacterium that derives energy from lipase-mediated sebum lipid degradation. is commensal, but lipase activity has been observed to differ among types. For example, higher populations of the type IA strains are present in acne lesions with higher lipase activity. In the present study, we examined a conserved lipase in types IB and II that was truncated in type IA strains. Closed, blocked, and open structures of ATCC11828 lipases were elucidated by X-ray crystallography at 1.6-2.4 Å. The closed crystal structure, which is the most common form in aqueous solution, revealed that a hydrophobic lid domain shields the active site. By comparing closed, blocked, and open structures, we found that the lid domain-opening mechanisms of lipases (lipases) involve the lid-opening residues, Phe-179 and Phe-211. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first structure-function study of lipases, which may help to shed light on the mechanisms involved in acne development and may aid in future drug design.