acid dissociation constant or acidity constant symbol: Ka; the thermodynamic equilibrium constant for the dissociation of an acid. For a dilute solution of a weak acid, HA, dissociating in water according to the equilibrium: HA + H2O ↔ H3O+ + A–, Ka = (aH3O+ × aA–)/aHA where a is the activity of the species designated
acid ceramidase , other name: N-acylsphingosine deacylase; a lysosomal enzyme that catalyses the hydrolyis of ceramide to sphingosine and a fatty acid. Its activity requires sphingolipid activator proteins (i.e. saposins B and C) and negatively charged phospholipids. A genetic locus at 8p21.3-22 encodes a precursor that contains 395 amino acids and is proteolytically cleaved into
acetyl coenzyme A or acetyl-CoA; a derivative of coenzyme A in which the sulfhydryl group is acetylated. Originally termed ‘active acetate’, it is an important metabolite, derived from pathways such as glycolysis, fatty-acid oxidation, and degradative metabolism of some amino acids. It is further metabolized by the tricarboxylic- acid cycle and represents a key intermediate