Calcium-dependent hydrolysis of supported planar lipids was triggered by honey bee venom phospholipase A2 with the right orientation at the interface.

Hydrolysis of planar phospholipids catalyzed by honey bee venom phospholipase A2 (bvPLA2) was studied. Experiments demonstrated that Ca2+ ions mediated between the lipids and bvPLA2, induced reorientation of bvPLA2, and activated hydrolysis. One of the hydrolysis products, fatty acids, was desorbed, and the other one, lysophospholipids, self-organized at the interface.