title: Structures of the human ceramide activator protein saposin D.
abstract: Saposin D is a sphingolipid activator protein required for the lysosomal breakdown of ceramide to a fatty acid and sphingosine by acid ceramidase. The crystal structure of saposin D has been determined in two different crystal forms, resulting in a total of six crystallographically independent views of this small 80-amino-acid protein. All of the structures are highly similar and reveal the monomeric form of the saposin fold previously seen in the crystal structures of saposins A and C. Saposin D is slightly more compact than the related saposins A and C owing to a slight repositioning of the 'stem' and 'hairpin' regions of the protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Popovic
authors.forename: Gilbert G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Privé
mesh_terms: D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray / Q000379:methods; D019281:Dimerization; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D049231:Saposins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D049231:Saposins