Medical Definition of Beta-n-acetylhexosaminidase
1.
An enzyme hydrolyzing terminal non-reducing n-acetyl-d-hexosamine residues in n-acetyl-beta-d-hexosaminides. It acts on glucosides, galactosides, and several oligosaccharides. Hexosaminidase a cleaves gm2, ga2, globosides, and hexosamine oligosaccharides. Deficiency of this isoenzyme causes tay-sachs disease. Hexosaminidase b cleaves all the above substrates except gm2. A deficiency of both a and b causes sandhoff disease. The enzyme has also been used as a tumour marker to distinguish between malignant and benign disease.
Chemical name: beta-N-Acetyl-D-hexosaminide N-acetylhexosaminohydrolase
Registry number: EC 3.2.1.52
(12 Dec 1998)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Beta-n-acetylhexosaminidase
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