Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Saposins: structure, function, distribution, and molecular genetics.

Y Kishimoto1, M Hiraiwa, J S O'Brien

  • 1University of California, San Diego, Center for Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, La Jolla 92093-0634.

Journal of Lipid Research
|September 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary

Saposins are proteins that help break down fats. Different saposins activate enzymes differently, impacting sphingolipid metabolism and lysosomal storage diseases.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Complex Contact-Based Dynamics of Microsphere Monolayers Revealed by Resonant Attenuation of Surface Acoustic Waves.

Physical review letters·2016
Same author

Prosaposin is a novel androgen-regulated gene in prostate cancer cell line LNCaP.

Journal of cellular biochemistry·2006
Same author

Saposins (sap) A and C activate the degradation of galactosylsphingosine.

FEBS letters·2001
Same author

Discovery of beta-hexosaminidase A deficiency in Tay-Sachs disease.

Advances in genetics·2001
Same author

TX14(A), a prosaposin-derived peptide, reverses established nerve disorders in streptozotocin-diabetic rats and prevents them in galactose-fed rats.

Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology·2001
Same author

Prosaposin-derived peptides enhanced sprouting of sensory neurons in vitro and induced sprouting at motor endplates in vivo.

Journal of the peripheral nervous system : JPNS·2001

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Saposins A, B, C, and D are glycoproteins derived from prosaposin.
  • They activate lysosomal hydrolases crucial for sphingolipid metabolism.
  • All saposins share structural similarities but differ in hydrolase activation specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the occurrence, structure, and function of saposin proteins.
  • To highlight the role of saposins in sphingolipid metabolism and lysosomal storage diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of saposin research.
  • Analysis of prosaposin structure and processing.
  • Examination of saposin function in lysosomal and non-lysosomal contexts.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Saposins are heat-stable glycoproteins activating lysosomal hydrolases.
  • Prosaposin, the precursor, can be processed into individual saposins or function as an integral membrane protein.
  • Tissue accumulation of saposins and sphingolipidosis occur in patients with prosaposin gene mutations.

Conclusions:

  • Saposins play vital roles in sphingolipid metabolism.
  • Dysfunctional saposins or prosaposin mutations lead to lysosomal storage diseases.
  • Further research into saposin function in various biological fluids is warranted.