Question

All of the following are true about degradation of sphingolipids except it A. occurs by hydrolytic enzymes contained in lysosomes. B. terminates at the level of ceramides. C. is a scquential, stepwise removal of constitucnts. D. may involve a sulfatase or a neuraminidase. E. is catalyzed by enzymes specific for a type of linkage rather than specific compound.

Short answer

Answer: Unable to determine due to all given statements being true. There may be an error in the question or its options.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding sphingolipid degradation

Sphingolipid degradation occurs in lysosomes, involving various hydrolytic enzymes to sequentially break down complex sphingolipids into simpler compounds. This process terminates when simple ceramides are produced. In some cases, degradation may require specific enzymes like sulfatase or neuraminidase to break certain types of linkages. The enzymes involved in sphingolipid degradation are specific to the type of linkage or bond between molecules, not the specific compound.

Analyzing each statement

A. Sphingolipid degradation does occur by hydrolytic enzymes contained in lysosomes. This statement is true. B. The degradation process terminates at the level of ceramides. This statement is true as well. C. Sphingolipid degradation is indeed a sequential, stepwise removal of constituents. This statement is also true. D. Degradation may involve a sulfatase or a neuraminidase. This is true, as some types of linkages within sphingolipids require these specific enzymes for degradation. E. The enzymes involved in sphingolipid degradation are specific for a type of linkage rather than a specific compound. This statement is also true.

Identifying the incorrect statement

Based on our analysis in Step 2, we find that all the given statements (A, B, C, D, and E) are true about sphingolipid degradation. Since this is a contradiction, we need to review the choices again to find any mistake.

Reviewing the choices again

Upon reviewing the question statement, we realize that the stem of the original question is "Except", meaning we need to determine which choice goes against the information about sphingolipid degradation. However, the fact remains that all the choices given are TRUE regarding sphingolipid degradation. Therefore, there may be a mistake in the question itself, or one of the choices should have been written differently to make it FALSE. We cannot make a conclusion based on the information provided.