鞘脂激活蛋白原(prosaposin)是一种多功能的糖蛋白。Prosaposin刚合成时其分子量为53kD,经过翻译后加工成为两种功能完全不同的蛋白:一种分子量为65kD,是4种鞘脂激活蛋白(sphingolipid activator protein,saposin)的前提物,在sortilin蛋白的作用下运送至溶酶体,由蛋白水解酶水解成为4种低分子量的鞘脂激活蛋白saposin A、B、C、D,其功能是作为鞘脂糖水解途径中所涉及到的溶酶体酶的激活剂,参与带有短的寡糖链的脂类的代谢;另一种分子量为70kD,prosaposin作为完整的糖基化的分泌蛋白出现,存在于一些生物体液中,例如精液、乳汁、脑脊液,并具备与鞘脂激活蛋白完全不同的功能。
Prosaposin is a multifunctional protein that is the precursor of four lysosomal activator proteins known as saposin when located in the lysosome and is an integral membrane protein when secreted. Despite of its function during sphingolipid catabolism, prosaposin also plays an important role in reproductive system, nervous system and the development of prostate cancer.