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globosides

Wednesday 30 July 2008

Lipids > sphingolipids > glycosphingolipids > globosides

Definition: A globoside is a type of glycosphingolipid (containing amino-alcohol sphingosine) with N-Acetylgalactosamine as the side chain.

The side chain can be cleaved by beta-hexosaminidase.

Pathology

If the enzyme beta-hexosaminidase is not functioning correctly (gene mutation), then globosides can accumulate, leading to Sandhoff disease.

See also

- glycolipids