LYZ
Description
The LYZ (lysozyme) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 12.
Lysozyme, also known as muramidase or N-acetylmuramide glycanhydrolase, is an antimicrobial enzyme produced by animals as part of their innate immune system. It works by breaking down peptidoglycan, a major component of bacterial cell walls, through hydrolysis of specific bonds between sugar molecules. This disrupts the bacterial cell wall, leading to lysis and bacterial death. Lysozyme is abundant in bodily fluids such as tears, saliva, human milk, and mucus. It is also found in the granules of macrophages and neutrophils, which are types of immune cells. Notably, egg white contains a significant amount of lysozyme. The human form of lysozyme, known as C-type lysozyme, is encoded by the LYZ gene and is closely related to another protein called α-lactalbumin in terms of structure and sequence. While hen egg white lysozyme is heat-stable, lysozyme in human milk loses its activity quickly at high temperatures.
LYZ is also known as AMYLD5, LYZF1, LZM.
