Α-Galactosidase

α-Galactosidase ( EC 3.2.1.22, α-GAL, α-GAL A; systematic name α- D -galactoside galactohydrolase) is a glycoside hydrolase enzyme that catalyses the following reaction:


 * Hydrolysis of terminal, non-reducing α- D -galactose residues in α- D -galactosides, including galactose oligosaccharides, galactomannans and galactolipids

It catalyzes many catabolic processes, including cleavage of glycoproteins, glycolipids, and polysaccharides.

The enzyme is encoded by the GLA gene.

Function
This enzyme is a homodimeric glycoprotein that hydrolyses the terminal α-galactosyl moieties from glycolipids and glycoproteins. It predominantly hydrolyzes ceramide trihexoside, and it can catalyze the hydrolysis of melibiose into galactose and glucose.