3 are the phosphodiesterases that hydrolyze the ester bond between the diglyceride and the substituted phosphoric acid of natural phosphoglycerides. The name lecithase D was proposed for this group in 1933; the first such enzyme discovered in 1941 was called lecithinase C. The term phospholipase C is now accepted but D was still used in 1960 and confusion reigned.
The enzymes were reported as falling into two subgroups: those hydrolyzing phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylcholine cholinephosphohydrolases, EC 3.1.4.3 (phospholipases 3(PC) and 3(PE)); and those hydrolyzing PI or PI mono- or diphosphate, phosphatidylinositol inositolphosphohydrolases, or phospholipases (3(PI)).
Phospholipases 3(PC) are found as extracellular bacterial enzymes. They were first discovered in Clostridium perfringens, since then they have been found in other Clostridium species, in Bacillus cereus, B. mucoides and B. anthracis, in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, and in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and P. fluorescens. A soluble phospholipase 3 has been found in marine alga, M
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