is a measure of the concentration of FA present ( 2, 3 ). This property, useful for detection of low levels of FAs, led to the development of a sensitive fl uorescence assay for phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) activity ( 4 ).ADIFAB also binds lysophospholipids, anionic and some zwitterionic detergents. This fact, although intrinsically useful for quantitating not just FAs but lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) as well, calls into question the earlier PLA 2 assay that took into account only FA binding. The goals of this work were to establish the quantitative and linear nature of ADIFAB fl uorescence response to FA and LPC, develop quantitative assays for detecting both FA and LPC in aqueous solutions as well as for continuous real time monitoring of PLA 2 hydrolysis at membrane interfaces expressing activity in absolute units of M of product/minute/mg of enzyme, and extend the applicability of the ADIFAB PLA 2 assay to more lipids and lipid bilayers.Phospholipase catalyzed hydrolysis of phospholipids at membrane interfaces produces FAs and lysophospholipids ( 5 ). The rate of hydrolysis depends on membrane physicochemical properties like membrane curvature, lipid composition, lipid chain length, and headgroup charge ( 6, 7 ). It is typically quite low at membrane interfaces and can be well below the precision levels of the standard pH-Stat method ( 8 ). The importance of PLA 2 activity to several physiological functions and membrane biochemistry demands sensitive methods not only to detect membrane hydrolysis but also to quantitatively and continuously monitor PLA 2 activity in real time in absolute units ( 9, 10 ). In this context, the fl uorescence response of the probe ADIFAB to the presence of hydrolysis products offers just such a method ( 1 ).The ADIFAB fl uorescence assay, fi rst reported by Richieri and Kleinfeld, relies on the shift in fl uorescence Acrylodan-labeled rat-intestinal fatty acid binding protein (ADIFAB) exhibits a fl uorescence emission peak at 432 nm when excited by light of wavelength 386 nm ( 1 ). The emission peak shifts to 505 nm upon binding an FA. The ADIFAB fl uorescence response depends on the type of FA. The ratio of the intensities at 505 nm to that at 432 nm