Specificity
Hexosaminidase B (HEXB), also designated subunit. These mutations disrupt the activity of HEXB and HEXA, which prevents the breakdown of GM2 ganglioside, a fatty material found in the brain, therby rendering both the HEXA and HEXB enzymes deficient. SD is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by an accumulation of GM2 ganglioside, which causes progressive destruction of the central nervous system. Sandhoff disease is similar to Tay-Sachs disease, which is caused by mutations in the HEXA gene, although SD is more severe.
