Smpd2 - sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 2, neutral

This gene encodes a protein with similarity to the human nSMase1 protein. In humans, the nSMase1 protein was initially identified as a sphingomyelinase based on sequence similarity between bacterial sphingomyelinases and a yeast protein. Subsequent studies showed that its biological function is less likely to be as a sphingomyelinase and instead as a lysophospholipase. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2009]