The activity of chymase was markedly inhibited by phosphoglycerides such as phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylinositol, but was not affected by acylglycerides, phosphoglyceroserine, serine, inositol, or glycerol. These results suggest that both the nonpolar hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails and the polar hydrophilic head are essential for the inhibitory effects of phosphoglycerides. Binding of a primary amine to an anionic polar head of phosphatidic acid, such as in phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine, slightly decreased the inhibitory effect of phosphatidic acid and, conversely, binding of a strong cation to the head, such as in phosphatidylcholine, resulted in its activation of chymase. Phosphatidic acid containing an unsaturated fatty acid, such as dioleoyl phosphatidic acid, caused the same extent of inhibition as natural phosphatidic acid from bovine brain, but was 20 times more inhibitory than phosphatidic acid containing a saturated fatty acid, such as distearoyl phosphatidic acid. The inhibition by phosphatidylserine was noncompetitive and pseudoirreversible, and the Ki value was 0.54 microM. The inhibition of chymase by phosphatidylserine was pH dependent, being strong at pH 8.5 to 9.5 but weak below pH 7.5. Phosphatidylserine specifically inhibited chymase and elastase; it did not inhibit the other chymotrypsin-type serine endopeptidases tested, trypsin, papain, collagenase, carboxypeptidase A, or cathepsin D.