What is "glucosylceramidase"

n. glucocerebrosidase.

In enzymology, a glucosylceramidase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction

D-glucosyl-N-acylsphingosine + HO $\rightleftharpoons$ D-glucose + N-acylsphingosine

Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are D-glucosyl-N-acylsphingosine and HO, whereas its two products are D-glucose and N-acylsphingosine.

This enzyme belongs to the family of hydrolases, specifically those glycosidases that hydrolyse O- and S-glycosyl compounds. The systematic name of this enzyme class is D-glucosyl-N-acylsphingosine glucohydrolase. Other names in common use include:

• psychosine hydrolase,
• glucosphingosine glucosylhydrolase,
• GlcCer-beta-glucosidase,
• beta-D-glucocerebrosidase,
• glucosylcerebrosidase,
• beta-glucosylceramidase,
• ceramide glucosidase,
• glucocerebrosidase,
• glucosylsphingosine beta-glucosidase,
• and glucosylsphingosine beta-D-glucosidase.

This enzyme participates in sphingolipid metabolism and degradation of glycan structures.