Description
Product Characteristics:
Galactosidase alpha is involved in the hydrolysis of terminal, non reducing alpha D galactose residues in alpha D galactosides, including galactose oligosaccharides, galactomannans and galactohydrolase. Defects in GLA are the cause of Fabry's disease (FD). FD is a rare X-linked sphingolipidosis disease where glycolipid accumulates in many tissues. Clinical recognition in males results from characteristic skin lesions (angiokeratomas) over the lower trunk. Patients may show ocular deposits, febrile episodes, and burning pain in the extremities. Death results from renal failure, cardiac or cerebral complications of hypertension or other vascular disease. Heterozygous females may exhibit the disorder in an attenuated form, they are more likely to show corneal opacities.
Subcellular location: Cytoplasm
Synonyms: GALA, Alpha-galactosidase A, Alpha-D-galactosidase A, Alpha-D-galactoside galactohydrolase, Melibiase, GLA
Target Information: This gene encodes a homodimeric glycoprotein that hydrolyses the terminal alpha-galactosyl moieties from glycolipids and glycoproteins. This enzyme predominantly hydrolyzes ceramide trihexoside, and it can catalyze the hydrolysis of melibiose into galactose and glucose. A variety of mutations in this gene affect the synthesis, processing, and stability of this enzyme, which causes Fabry disease, a rare lysosomal storage disorder that results from a failure to catabolize alpha-D-galactosyl glycolipid moieties. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]