Glossary for Arachnids (Spiders and their Relatives)

Notes on Words used in Scientific Terminology

SPHINGOMYELINASE D

Sphingomyelinase D (SMD) is an enzyme component of the venom produced by spiders in the family Sicariidae. This component is the most powerful dermonecrotic agent contained in such venoms, and benefits these spiders by breaking down the sphingolipids of their prey, reducing them to a liquid form that can be sucked into the spider's gullet. 

SMD is one of a number of known sphingomyelinase forms observed in nature. These enzymes are usually produced in healthy organisms to catalyze the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin (SPH), a type of sphingolipid found in animal cell membranes, especially in the myelin sheath surrounding some nerve cell axons. In humans, SPH represents about 85% of all sphingolipids. In certain metabolic deficiency diseases, where such enzymes are missing or deficient, sphingomyelin accumulates in body organs, such as the spleen and liver.

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