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Encyclopedia of Signaling Molecules pp 5112–5119Cite as

Sphingomyelinase, Acidic

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Synonyms

Acid lysosomal; ASM; ASMase; A-SMase; SMPD1; Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 1; Zn-SMase

Historical Background

Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM, Enzyme Commission classification number 3.1.4.12) is one of the hydrolases that catalyze the breakdown of sphingomyelin to phosphorylcholine and the signaling molecule ceramide. Its importance was first realized when ASM deficiency was identified as the cause of the lysosomal storage disorder Niemann-Pick disease types A and B. Originally, because of its acidic pH optimum in vitro (pH 4,5–5,0), ASM was assumed to be a purely lysosomal enzyme. Further studies have since revealed that ASM is not restricted to the lysosomes, but can also translocate to and function at the extracellular cell surface (Grassmé et al. 2001). This is important for ASM-mediated signaling, which typically occurs through the generation of ceramide-enriched plasma membrane platforms. This mechanism was first demonstrated for CD95-DISC formation (Grassmé et al. 2001)....

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45122, Essen, Germany

    Nadine Beckmann, Erich Gulbins, Katrin Anne Becker & Alexander Carpinteiro

  2. Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati, 231 Albert Sabin Way, ML 0558, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA

    Erich Gulbins

Authors
  1. Nadine Beckmann
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  2. Erich Gulbins
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  3. Katrin Anne Becker
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  4. Alexander Carpinteiro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erich Gulbins .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Korea

    Sangdun Choi

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Beckmann, N., Gulbins, E., Becker, K.A., Carpinteiro, A. (2018). Sphingomyelinase, Acidic. In: Choi, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Signaling Molecules. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67199-4_101873

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