Galactosylceramidase (GALC)

Galactosylceramidase (EC 3.2.1.46) is a lysosomal enzyme involved in the catabolism of galactosylceramide, a major lipid in myelin, kidney, and epithelial cells of the small intestine and colon. Two overlapping clones containing the total protein coding region were obtained. The open reading frame codes for 669 amino acids, representing a protein with a molecular mass of approximately 73 kD.The cDNA encodes a single chain peptide with a 26-amino acid N-terminal signal peptide and 6 potential asparagine-linked glycosylation sites.The gene organization was nearly identical to that of the human gene, and the deduced amino acid sequence of monkey GALC was about 97%, 87%, and 83% identical to that in human, dog, and mouse, respectively.