Biomaterial Database

Acid sphingomyelinase, cell membranes and human disease: lessons from Niemann-Pick disease. 2010

Edward H Schuchman

Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Icahn Medical Institute, New York, NY 10029, USA. Edward.Schuchman@mssm.edu

Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) plays an important role in normal membrane turnover through the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin, and is one of the key enzymes responsible for the production of ceramide. ASM activity is deficient in the genetic disorder Types A and B Niemann-Pick disease (NPD). ASM knockout (ASMKO) mice were originally constructed to study this disorder, and numerous defects in ceramide-related signaling have been shown. Studies in these mice have further suggested that ASM may be involved in the pathogenesis of several common diseases through the reorganization of membrane microdomains. This review will focus on the role of ASM in membrane biology, with a specific emphasis on what a rare genetic disorder (NPD) has taught us about more common events.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009542	Niemann-Pick Diseases	A group of autosomal recessive disorders in which harmful quantities of lipids accumulate in the viscera and the central nervous system. They can be caused by deficiencies of enzyme activities (SPHINGOMYELIN PHOSPHODIESTERASE) or defects in intracellular transport, resulting in the accumulation of SPHINGOMYELINS and CHOLESTEROL. There are various subtypes based on their clinical and genetic differences.	ASM Deficiency,ASM-Deficient Niemann-Pick Disease,Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency,Acid Sphingomyelinase-deficient Niemann-Pick Disease,Niemann-Pick Disease,ASM Deficiencies,ASM Deficient Niemann Pick Disease,ASM-Deficient Niemann-Pick Diseases,Acid Sphingomyelinase deficient Niemann Pick Disease,Deficiencies, ASM,Deficiencies, Acid Sphingomyelinase,Deficiency, ASM,Deficiency, Acid Sphingomyelinase,Disease, ASM-Deficient Niemann-Pick,Diseases, ASM-Deficient Niemann-Pick,Niemann Pick Disease,Niemann Pick Diseases,Niemann-Pick Disease, ASM-Deficient,Niemann-Pick Diseases, ASM-Deficient,Sphingomyelinase Deficiencies, Acid,Sphingomyelinase Deficiency, Acid
D002462	Cell Membrane	The lipid- and protein-containing, selectively permeable membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.	Plasma Membrane,Cytoplasmic Membrane,Cell Membranes,Cytoplasmic Membranes,Membrane, Cell,Membrane, Cytoplasmic,Membrane, Plasma,Membranes, Cell,Membranes, Cytoplasmic,Membranes, Plasma,Plasma Membranes
D004194	Disease	A definite pathologic process with a characteristic set of signs and symptoms. It may affect the whole body or any of its parts, and its etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or unknown.	Diseases
D004195	Disease Models, Animal	Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases.	Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013108	Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase	An enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin to ceramide (N-acylsphingosine) plus choline phosphate. A defect in this enzyme leads to NIEMANN-PICK DISEASE. EC 3.1.4.12.	Sphingomyelin Cholinephosphohydrolase,Sphingomyelin Cleaving Enzyme,Sphingomyelinase,Sphingomyelinase C
D051379	Mice	The common name for the genus Mus.	Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus
D018345	Mice, Knockout	Strains of mice in which certain GENES of their GENOMES have been disrupted, or "knocked-out". To produce knockouts, using RECOMBINANT DNA technology, the normal DNA sequence of the gene being studied is altered to prevent synthesis of a normal gene product. Cloned cells in which this DNA alteration is successful are then injected into mouse EMBRYOS to produce chimeric mice. The chimeric mice are then bred to yield a strain in which all the cells of the mouse contain the disrupted gene. Knockout mice are used as EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL MODELS for diseases (DISEASE MODELS, ANIMAL) and to clarify the functions of the genes.	Knockout Mice,Mice, Knock-out,Mouse, Knockout,Knock-out Mice,Knockout Mouse,Mice, Knock out