The affinity of delipidated microsomal UDP-glucuronyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.17) for UDP is greater than that for UDP-glucuronic acid. Measurement of KIglucuronic acid reveals that glucuronic acid binds to the enzyme. Hence, the difference in affinity of the enzyme for UDP versus UDP-glucuronic acid indicates that inherent binding energy for interactions between enzyme and this substrate is used for purposes other than enhancing binding. A reasonable interpretation of these data is that the binding of UDP-glucuronic acid to enzyme requires distortion of the substrate and/or the enzyme. Inherent binding energy due to interactions between enzyme and UDP and glucuronic acid is utilized to effect such distortions. This type of mechanism can cause significant rate enhancement. Phospholipid activators of UDP-glucuronyltransferase activate by amplifying this basic mechanism. Thus, addition of various species of lysophosphatidylcholine to the delipidated enzyme increase the activity at Vmax and enhance the affinity for UDP, glucuronic acid, and UDP-glucuronic acid. However, activators enhance the affinity of the enzyme for UDP-glucuronic acid to a significantly smaller extent than they enhance affinity for the UDP and glucuronic acid portions of the substrate. Calculations of the amount of binding energy for interactions between enzyme and UDP-glucuronic acid that can be used for stimulating activities at Vmax yield values in agreement with the observed enhancement of activities at Vmax for enzyme reconstituted with various types of lysophosphatidylcholine.