In People Who Do Not Have Tay-Sachs Disease,the HexA Gene

Question

In people who do not have Tay-Sachs disease,the hexA gene encodes an enzyme that
A)converts purines to uric acid in the kidneys.
B)removes a sugar group from phenylalanine.
C)converts tyrosine to melanin in skin.
D)cleaves acetylgalactosamine from gangliosides.
E)synthesizes glycogen from glucose monomers.

Accepted Answer

The hexA gene encodes the enzyme hexosaminidase A, which cleaves acetylgalactosamine from gangliosides. This is important to prevent the accumulation of gangliosides, which can occur in people with Tay-Sachs disease, a genetic disorder where hexosaminidase A is deficient.