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Galactose (/ ɡ ə ˈ l æ k t oʊ s /, galacto-+ -ose, "milk sugar"), sometimes abbreviated Gal, is a monosaccharide sugar that is about as sweet as glucose, and about 65% as sweet as sucrose. [2] It is an aldohexose and a C-4 epimer of glucose. [3] A galactose molecule linked with a glucose molecule forms a lactose molecule.
In humans it is the terminal carbohydrate forming the antigen of blood group A. [1]. It is typically the first monosaccharide that connects serine or threonine in particular forms of protein O-glycosylation.
After separation from glucose, galactose travels to the liver for conversion to glucose. [12] Galactokinase uses one molecule of ATP to phosphorylate galactose. [ 2 ] The phosphorylated galactose is then converted to glucose-1-phosphate, and then eventually glucose-6-phosphate, which can be broken down in glycolysis.
Galactosemia, the inability to metabolize galactose in liver cells, is the most common monogenic disorder of carbohydrate metabolism, affecting 1 in every 55,000 newborns. [2] When galactose in the body is not broken down, it accumulates in tissues. The most common signs are failure to thrive, hepatic insufficiency, cataracts and developmental ...
Galactose-α-1,3-galactose, commonly known as alpha gal and the Galili antigen, is a carbohydrate found in most mammalian cell membranes. It is not found in catarrhines , [ 1 ] including humans, who have lost the GGTA1 gene.
GalT encodes for the protein galactosyltransferase which catalyzes the transfer of a galactose sugar to an acceptor, forming a glycosidic bond. [5] GalK encodes for a kinase that phosphorylates α-D-galactose to galactose 1-phosphate. [6] Lastly, galM catalyzes the conversion of β-D-galactose to α-D-galactose as the first step in galactose ...
β-Galactosidase is an exoglycosidase which hydrolyzes the β-glycosidic bond formed between a galactose and its organic moiety. It may also cleave fucosides and arabinosides but at a much lower rate. It is an essential enzyme in the human body. Deficiencies in the protein can result in galactosialidosis or Morquio B syndrome.
Intermediates and enzymes in the Leloir pathway of galactose metabolism [5] In the first step, galactose mutarotase facilitates the conversion of β-D-galactose to α-D-galactose since this is the active form in the pathway. Next, α-D-galactose is phosphorylated by galactokinase to galactose 1-phosphate.