Background information
N-SMase2 (neutral sphingomyelinase 2), also known as NSMASE2 or SMPD3 (sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 3), is a ubiquitously expressed 655 amino acid member of the magnesium-dependent phosphohydrolase protein family. Localized to the membrane of the Golgi apparatus, N-SMase2 functions to catalyze the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin to form ceramide and phosphocholine—two proteins that mediate cell growth arrest and apoptosis. N-SMase2 is enzymatically activated by unsaturated fatty acids and phosphatidylserine and, through regulation of ceramide synthesis, is involved in growth suppression and postnatal development. Expression of N-SMase2 is upregulated during the G0/G1 phases of the cell cycle and optimal N-SMase2 activity occurs at a slightly basic pH of 7.5. N-SMase2 deficiency is the cause of chondrodysplasia, a genetic disorder characterized by impaired bone growth that leads to short stature, bowlegs and underdeveloped joints.
