GK2

gene
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Also known as GKTA

Summary

GK2 (glycerol kinase 2, HGNC:4291) is a protein-coding gene on chromosome 4q21.21, encoding Glycerol kinase 2 (Q14410). Key enzyme in the regulation of glycerol uptake and metabolism.

Predicted to enable glycerol kinase activity. Predicted to be involved in several processes, including glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process; sperm mitochondrial sheath assembly; and triglyceride metabolic process. Located in sperm midpiece.

Source: NCBI Gene 2712 — RefSeq curated summary.

At a glance

  • Gene–disease (curated): Tourette syndrome (No Known Disease Relationship, GenCC)
  • GWAS associations: 5
  • Clinical variants (ClinVar): 69 total
  • MANE Select transcript: NM_033214

Identifiers

Gene identifiers

FieldValue
HGNC IDHGNC:4291
Approved symbolGK2
Nameglycerol kinase 2
Location4q21.21
Locus typegene with protein product
StatusApproved
AliasesGKTA
Ensembl geneENSG00000196475
Ensembl biotypeprotein_coding
OMIM600148
Entrez2712

Gene structure

Transcript identifiers

Ensembl transcripts: 1 — 1 protein_coding

ENST00000358842

RefSeq mRNA: 1 — MANE Select: NM_033214 NM_033214

CCDS: CCDS3585

Canonical transcript exons

ENST00000358842 — 1 exons

ExonStartEnd
ENSE000014070627940636179408228

Expression profiles

Bgee: expression breadth broad, 25 present calls, max score 94.24.

FANTOM5 (CAGE): breadth tissue_specific, TPM avg 0.1822 / max 153.8200, expressed in 4 samples.

FANTOM5 promoters (5 alternative TSS)

Promoter IDTPM avgSamples expressed
527370.14453
527380.01953
2032610.00783
527400.00623
527390.00413

Top tissues by expression

258 total, by Bgee expression score (0-100, higher = more expressed):

TissueAnatomy IDExpression scoreQuality
spermCL:000001994.24gold quality
left testisUBERON:000453394.18gold quality
right testisUBERON:000453493.70gold quality
male germ cellCL:000001593.63gold quality
testisUBERON:000047391.73gold quality
adult organismUBERON:000702382.22gold quality
pancreatic ductal cellCL:000207973.29silver quality
endometrium epitheliumUBERON:000481161.87gold quality
mucosa of urinary bladderUBERON:000125961.58gold quality
tibialis anteriorUBERON:000138561.15silver quality
ileal mucosaUBERON:000033156.45silver quality
cerebellar vermisUBERON:000472054.61gold quality
upper leg skinUBERON:000426254.05silver quality
deltoidUBERON:000147652.76gold quality
Brodmann (1909) area 10UBERON:001354152.50gold quality
metanephric glomerulusUBERON:000473652.33gold quality
quadriceps femorisUBERON:000137752.24gold quality
vastus lateralisUBERON:000137951.13gold quality
cervix squamous epitheliumUBERON:000692250.81gold quality
frontal poleUBERON:000279550.41gold quality
middle frontal gyrusUBERON:000270250.30gold quality
paraflocculusUBERON:000535150.18gold quality
Brodmann (1909) area 46UBERON:000648349.30gold quality
hair follicleUBERON:000207349.18gold quality
thymusUBERON:000237049.13gold quality
layer of synovial tissueUBERON:000761649.05gold quality
kidney epitheliumUBERON:000481949.02gold quality
olfactory bulbUBERON:000226448.92gold quality
myocardiumUBERON:000234948.87gold quality
oviduct epitheliumUBERON:000480448.84gold quality

Single-cell (SCXA)

Detected in 1 experiment(s), a significant marker in 1.

ExperimentMarker?Max mean expression
E-ANND-3yes2.63

Regulation

Is transcription factor: no

miRNA regulators (miRDB)

9 targeting GK2, top 30 by miRDB confidence (max_score; target_count = how many genes the miRNA targets in total — lower means more specific):

miRNAMax scoreAvg scoremiRNA target_count
HSA-MIR-806399.9169.763146
HSA-MIR-449599.8272.083080
HSA-MIR-182799.6368.573265
HSA-MIR-4796-5P99.3470.06810
HSA-MIR-452899.1869.771936
HSA-MIR-1139998.7165.69869
HSA-MIR-807898.3265.73361
HSA-MIR-5007-5P97.9564.71614
HSA-MIR-125B-2-3P96.6968.381210

Literature-anchored findings (GeneRIF, showing 1)

  • analysis of LGALS3, PHB2, MUC1, and GK2 expression with CA15-3 in early-stage breast cancer (PMID:26289852)

Cross-species orthologs

6 orthologs

OrganismSymbolGene ID
danio_rerioGK2ENSDARG00000053456
mus_musculusGk2ENSMUSG00000050553
rattus_norvegicusGk2ENSRNOG00000029397
drosophila_melanogasterCG8298FBGN0033673
drosophila_melanogasterGk2FBGN0035266
caenorhabditis_elegansWBGENE00020007

Paralogs (6): XYLB (ENSG00000093217), FGGY (ENSG00000172456), GK5 (ENSG00000175066), SHPK (ENSG00000197417), GK (ENSG00000198814), GK3 (ENSG00000229894)

Protein

Protein identifiers

Glycerol kinase 2Q14410 (reviewed: Q14410)

Alternative names: ATP:glycerol 3-phosphotransferase 2, Glycerol kinase, testis specific 2

All UniProt accessions (2): Q14410, A0A140VKG0

UniProt curated annotations — full annotation on UniProt →

Function. Key enzyme in the regulation of glycerol uptake and metabolism. Essential for male fertility and sperm mitochondrial sheath formation. Required for proper arrangement of crescent-like mitochondria to form the mitochondrial sheath during spermatogenesis. Can induce mitochondrial clustering through interactions with PLD6 and up-regulation of phosphatidic acid synthesis in the mitochondria.

Subunit / interactions. Interacts with ARMC12. Interacts with PLD6.

Subcellular location. Mitochondrion outer membrane. Cytoplasm.

Tissue specificity. Testis-specific. Expressed in the midpiece of spermatozoa.

Pathway. Polyol metabolism; glycerol degradation via glycerol kinase pathway; sn-glycerol 3-phosphate from glycerol: step 1/1.

Similarity. Belongs to the FGGY kinase family.

RefSeq proteins (1): NP_149991* (*=MANE)

Domains & families (InterPro)

IDNameType
IPR000577Carb_kinase_FGGYFamily
IPR005999Glycerol_kinFamily
IPR018483Carb_kinase_FGGY_CSConserved_site
IPR018484FGGY_NDomain
IPR018485FGGY_CDomain
IPR042018GK1-3_metazoan-typeFamily
IPR043129ATPase_NBDHomologous_superfamily

Pfam: PF00370, PF02782

Catalyzed reactions (Rhea), 1 shown:

  • glycerol + ATP = sn-glycerol 3-phosphate + ADP + H(+) (RHEA:21644)

UniProt features (14 total): binding site 8, sequence conflict 4, chain 1, transmembrane region 1

Structure

Experimental structures (PDB)

0 structures.

Predicted structure (AlphaFold)

ModelpLDDTFraction very-high
AF-Q14410-F192.310.81

Functional residue map

Curated UniProt residues grouped by drug-discovery relevance — catalytic, ligand-binding, modification, and mutation-validated positions. Source: UniProtKB sequence features.

Ligand- & substrate-binding residues (8): 20; 24; 94; 148; 259; 281; 326; 427–431

Function

Pathways and Gene Ontology

Reactome pathways

1 pathways

IDPathway
R-HSA-75109Triglyceride biosynthesis

MSigDB gene sets: 103 (showing top): GOBP_POLYOL_METABOLIC_PROCESS, GOBP_POLYOL_CATABOLIC_PROCESS, GOBP_ORGANOPHOSPHATE_METABOLIC_PROCESS, GOBP_MALE_GAMETE_GENERATION, GOBP_ORGANOPHOSPHATE_BIOSYNTHETIC_PROCESS, GOBP_CARBOHYDRATE_DERIVATIVE_METABOLIC_PROCESS, NKX61_01, GOBP_GLYCEROLIPID_METABOLIC_PROCESS, MORF_ZNF10, GOBP_CARBOHYDRATE_DERIVATIVE_BIOSYNTHETIC_PROCESS, GOBP_CILIUM_ORGANIZATION, KEGG_PPAR_SIGNALING_PATHWAY, GOBP_CILIUM_MOVEMENT, GOBP_CILIUM_OR_FLAGELLUM_DEPENDENT_CELL_MOTILITY, GOBP_CARBOHYDRATE_METABOLIC_PROCESS

GO Biological Process (10): glycerol metabolic process (GO:0006071), triglyceride metabolic process (GO:0006641), spermatogenesis (GO:0007283), glycerol catabolic process (GO:0019563), flagellated sperm motility (GO:0030317), glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process (GO:0046167), sperm mitochondrial sheath assembly (GO:0120317), carbohydrate metabolic process (GO:0005975), glycerol-3-phosphate metabolic process (GO:0006072), cell differentiation (GO:0030154)

GO Molecular Function (7): glycerol kinase activity (GO:0004370), ATP binding (GO:0005524), nucleotide binding (GO:0000166), protein binding (GO:0005515), kinase activity (GO:0016301), transferase activity (GO:0016740), phosphotransferase activity, alcohol group as acceptor (GO:0016773)

GO Cellular Component (7): mitochondrion (GO:0005739), mitochondrial outer membrane (GO:0005741), extracellular exosome (GO:0070062), sperm midpiece (GO:0097225), sperm mitochondrial sheath (GO:0097226), cytoplasm (GO:0005737), membrane (GO:0016020)

Reactome top-level categories

Rollup of top-1 pathways:

CategoryPathways
Triglyceride metabolism1

GO top-level categories

Rollup of top GO terms by namespace:

CategoryTerms
cellular anatomical structure4
transferase activity, transferring phosphorus-containing groups2
carbohydrate metabolic process1
polyol metabolic process1
acylglycerol metabolic process1
developmental process involved in reproduction1
male gamete generation1
glycerol metabolic process1
alditol catabolic process1
cilium-dependent cell motility1
cilium movement involved in cell motility1
sperm motility1
glycerol-3-phosphate metabolic process1
organophosphate biosynthetic process1
carbohydrate derivative biosynthetic process1
cellular component assembly1
sperm flagellum assembly1
primary metabolic process1
alditol phosphate metabolic process1
cellular developmental process1
kinase activity1
phosphotransferase activity, alcohol group as acceptor1
adenyl ribonucleotide binding1
purine ribonucleoside triphosphate binding1
nucleoside phosphate binding1
heterocyclic compound binding1
binding1
catalytic activity1
cytoplasm1
intracellular membrane-bounded organelle1
mitochondrial membrane1
organelle outer membrane1
extracellular vesicle1
sperm flagellum1
sperm midpiece1
intracellular anatomical structure1

Protein interactions and networks

STRING

1910 interactions, top by confidence (×1000):

Protein AProtein BPartner UniProtScore
GK2VDAC3Q9Y277962
GK2VDAC1P21796945
GK2VDAC2P45880822
GK2LPLP06858770
GK2AQP9O43315760
GK2NR0B1P51843751
GK2AQP3Q92482722
GK2TPI1P00938706
GK2GUK1Q16774683
GK2CSO75390629
GK2PCP11498629
GK2PXDNQ92626627
GK2PXDNLA1KZ92626
GK2CELP19835600
GK2STARP49675596

IntAct

7 interactions, top by confidence:

ABTypeScore
GKGK2psi-mi:“MI:0915”(physical association)0.590
GK2GKpsi-mi:“MI:0915”(physical association)0.590
GK2HSPA8psi-mi:“MI:0915”(physical association)0.400
HSCBRBP5psi-mi:“MI:0914”(association)0.350
SLAMF1ZNF292psi-mi:“MI:0914”(association)0.350
GK3APODpsi-mi:“MI:0914”(association)0.350

BioGRID (12): GK2 (Affinity Capture-MS), GK2 (Co-fractionation), GK2 (Synthetic Growth Defect), HSPA8 (Affinity Capture-MS), GK2 (Affinity Capture-MS), GK2 (Affinity Capture-MS), GK2 (Affinity Capture-MS), GK2 (Affinity Capture-MS), GK2 (Affinity Capture-MS), GK2 (Proximity Label-MS), GK2 (Proximity Label-MS), GK2 (Proximity Label-MS)

ESM2 similar proteins: A0A0U1WZ18, A3QK15, B9N1F9, D3ZVR9, E0CSI1, O70196, P00503, P00504, P05201, P08906, P33121, P33124, P40142, P50137, P50554, P54767, P61922, P78330, P80147, Q07346, Q14410, Q15124, Q1W377, Q28BL6, Q2KHU0, Q2KIG0, Q42472, Q42521, Q4R4D5, Q4R5L1, Q5R691, Q5RB83, Q5ZLG0, Q6P1N9, Q6P8M1, Q7TN78, Q80W40, Q86V21, Q8BZF8, Q8K183

Diamond homologs: A0KAA1, A0KIT3, A1R6X6, A1TGD7, A3QIN4, A4FNR2, A4JHM8, A4SPA7, A4T5Y1, A5CS23, A5G146, A5U920, A5UU55, A5VE44, A5VZG7, A6M1Y8, A6WIC0, A6WXV2, A8F679, A8FQ89, A8H995, A8I8V7, A9AFH2, A9KY18, A9W8T7, A9WJ21, A9WS93, B0K643, B0KUG0, B0RMN0, B0TQM6, B1JY43, B1KKY8, B1LWN6, B1MFT1, B1YWB2, B1ZGW7, B2IE09, B2SYH7, B7KN92

SIGNOR signaling

0 interactions.

Disease & clinical

Clinical variants and AI predictions

ClinVar

69 variants total. Per-class counts are floors (≥ shown; pagination cap):

ClassificationCount (floor)
Pathogenic0
Likely pathogenic0
Uncertain significance65
Likely benign3
Benign0

Top pathogenic / likely-pathogenic (0)

SpliceAI

0 predictions. Top by Δscore:

AlphaMissense

3619 scored. Top likely-pathogenic:

VariantProtein changeam_pathogenicity
4:79407119:A:TV361D0.997
4:79407558:A:GW215R0.996
4:79407558:A:TW215R0.996
4:79407751:A:CS150R0.995
4:79407751:A:TS150R0.995
4:79407753:T:GS150R0.995
4:79407069:C:AG378W0.994
4:79407104:C:TG366E0.994
4:79406694:A:GW503R0.993
4:79406694:A:TW503R0.993
4:79406886:C:GA439P0.993
4:79407556:C:AW215C0.993
4:79407556:C:GW215C0.993
4:79407006:C:GA399P0.992
4:79407068:C:TG378E0.992
4:79407069:C:GG378R0.992
4:79407069:C:TG378R0.992
4:79407105:C:AG366W0.992
4:79407349:G:CF284L0.992
4:79407349:G:TF284L0.992
4:79407351:A:GF284L0.992
4:79407592:A:CS203R0.992
4:79407592:A:TS203R0.992
4:79407594:T:GS203R0.992
4:79406692:C:AW503C0.991
4:79406692:C:GW503C0.991
4:79407210:A:GW331R0.991
4:79407210:A:TW331R0.991
4:79407847:T:AR118S0.991
4:79407847:T:GR118S0.991

dbSNP variants (sampled 300 via entrez): RS1000185205 (4:79408207 A>C,G,T), RS1000217797 (4:79408362 C>G), RS1001851314 (4:79406653 A>T), RS1002632383 (4:79409798 G>A), RS1002663442 (4:79410107 T>C), RS1002875280 (4:79407017 G>A), RS1003950564 (4:79408289 A>G), RS1004199992 (4:79405959 A>G), RS1005241146 (4:79407084 C>A,T), RS1005706572 (4:79408369 T>C), RS1007714638 (4:79409147 T>A), RS1008265213 (4:79408761 A>G), RS1008375938 (4:79406286 A>C), RS1009252675 (4:79406323 C>G,T), RS1010192507 (4:79408148 T>C,G)

Disease associations

OMIM: gene MIM:600148 | disease phenotypes:

GenCC curated gene-disease

DiseaseClassificationInheritance
Tourette syndromeNo Known Disease RelationshipUnknown

Mondo (2): primary ovarian failure (MONDO:0005387), Tourette syndrome (MONDO:0007661)

Orphanet (1): NON RARE IN EUROPE: Primary ovarian failure (Orphanet:619)

HPO phenotypes

0 total (0 of 0 shown, HPO-id order):

GWAS associations

5 associations (top):

StudyTraitp-value
GCST003997_43Myopia3.000000e-15
GCST007327_61Smoking status (ever vs never smokers)4.000000e-08
GCST009007_6High-grade serous ovarian cancer9.000000e-07
GCST009391_2036Metabolite levels3.000000e-06
GCST010002_9Refractive error2.000000e-65

EFO canonical traits (2, from GWAS)

EFO IDTrait name
EFO:0004318smoking behavior
EFO:1001516ovarian serous carcinoma

MeSH disease descriptors (2)

DescriptorNameTree numbers
D016649Primary Ovarian InsufficiencyC12.050.351.500.056.630.750; C12.100.250.056.630.750; C19.391.630.750
D005879Tourette SyndromeC10.228.140.079.898; C10.228.662.825.800; C10.574.500.850; C16.320.400.820; F03.625.992.850

Drugs & pharmacology

Drug and pharmacology data

Is drug target: no

PharmGKB: 1 entry (VIP=true, CPIC=false)

CTD chemical–gene interactions

8 total (human), top 8 by PubMed support.

ChemicalActions (top 5)PubMed papers
hydroxyhydroquinoneincreases expression1
CGP 52608affects binding, increases reaction1
Benzo(a)pyreneincreases methylation1
Cadmiumdecreases expression, increases abundance1
Tretinoinincreases expression1
Valproic Aciddecreases methylation1
Cadmium Chloridedecreases expression, increases abundance1
Copper Sulfateincreases expression1

Clinical trials (associated diseases)

258 trials via MONDO — disease-level, not drug-specific.

TrialPhaseStatusTitle
NCT00152750PHASE4UNKNOWNStudy of Clonidine on Sleep Architecture in Children With Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) and Comorbid ADHD
NCT00226824PHASE4TERMINATEDSafety Study of Galantamine in Tic Disorders
NCT00241176PHASE4COMPLETEDOpen Label Trial of Aripiprazole in Children and Adolescents With Tourette’s Disorder
NCT00370838PHASE4COMPLETEDComparison of Keppra and Clonidine in the Treatment of Tics
NCT01018056PHASE4COMPLETEDDeveloping New Treatments for Tourette Syndrome: Therapeutic Trials With Modulators of Glutamatergic Neurotransmission
NCT01547000PHASE4COMPLETEDGuanfacine in Children With Tic Disorders
NCT03239210PHASE4COMPLETEDEffects of Ondansetron in Obsessive-compulsive and Tic Disorders
NCT00417066PHASE4COMPLETEDFlexible GnRH Antagonist vs Flare up GnRH Agonist Protocol in Poor Responders
NCT00732693PHASE4COMPLETEDEvaluation of Physiologic and Standard Sex Steroid Replacement Regimens in Women With Premature Ovarian Failure
NCT00837616PHASE4COMPLETEDEstrogen Dosing in Turner Syndrome: Pharmacology and Metabolism
NCT01853501PHASE4UNKNOWNEffects of ADSC Therapy in Women With POF
NCT02783937PHASE4COMPLETEDFilgrastim for Premature Ovarian Insufficiency
NCT03535480PHASE4UNKNOWNAutologous Bone Marrow Stem Cell Ovarian Transplantation to Restore Ovarian Function in Premature Ovarian Failure
NCT00004376PHASE3COMPLETEDPhase III Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Guanfacine for Tourette Syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
NCT00206323PHASE3COMPLETEDA Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Tourette Syndrome Study.
NCT00206336PHASE3COMPLETEDAn Open-label Study to Determine the Efficacy and Safety of Topiramate in the Treatment of Tourette Syndrome.
NCT00478842PHASE3COMPLETEDPallidal Stimulation and Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome
NCT00681863PHASE3TERMINATEDOpen-label Extension Study of Pramipexole in the Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Tourette Syndrome
NCT01501695PHASE3COMPLETEDPhase III Study of 5LGr to Treat Tic Disorder
NCT03087201PHASE3COMPLETEDCANNAbinoids in the Treatment of TICS (CANNA-TICS)
NCT03487783PHASE3COMPLETEDAripiprazole Oral Solution in the Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Tourette’s Syndrome
NCT03567291PHASE3TERMINATEDEvaluation of Safety and Tolerability of Long-term TEV-50717 (Deutetrabenazine) for Treatment of Tourette Syndrome in Children and Adolescents
NCT03571256PHASE3COMPLETEDA Study to Test if TEV-50717 is Effective in Relieving Tics Associated With Tourette Syndrome (TS)
NCT06021522PHASE3ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITINGA Study to Evaluate Long-term Safety of Ecopipam Tablets in Children, Adolescents and Adults With Tourette’s Disorder
NCT00140998PHASE3COMPLETEDEstrogen Treatment (Oral vs. Patches) in Turner Syndrome
NCT00004393PHASE2COMPLETEDPhase II Double Blind Placebo Controlled Trial of Risperidone in Tourette Syndrome
NCT00004652PHASE2COMPLETEDPhase II Pilot Controlled Study of Short Vs Longer Term Pimozide (Orap) Therapy in Tourette Syndrome
NCT00231985PHASE2COMPLETEDEffectiveness of Behavior Therapy and Psychosocial Therapy for the Treatment of Tourette Syndrome and Chronic Tic Disorder
NCT00311909PHASE2COMPLETEDThalamic Deep Brain Stimulation for Tourette Syndrome
NCT00529308PHASE2COMPLETEDTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Individuals With Tourette’s Syndrome
NCT00558467PHASE2COMPLETEDPramipexole Pilot Phase II Study in Children and Adolescents With Tourette Disorder According to DSM-IV Criteria
NCT01043549PHASE2TERMINATEDRepetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Posterior Parietal Cortex in Patients Suffering From Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome
NCT01133353PHASE2WITHDRAWNA Study of the Effectiveness and Safety of Tetrabenazine MR in Pediatric Subjects With Tourette’s Syndrome
NCT01475383PHASE2WITHDRAWNStudy Evaluating The Safety And Efficacy Of PF-03654746 In Adult Subjects With Tourette’s Syndrome
NCT01647269PHASE2COMPLETEDA Trial of Bilateral Deep Brain Stimulation to the Globus Pallidus Internum in Tourette Syndrome
NCT01904773PHASE2COMPLETEDSafety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetic, and Efficacy Study of AZD5213 in Adolescents With Tourette’s Disorder
NCT02102698PHASE2COMPLETEDEcopipam Treatment of Tourette’s Syndrome in Subjects 7-17 Years
NCT02217007PHASE2WITHDRAWNA Trial Evaluating the Efficacy, Safety, and Pharmacokinetics of SNC-102 in Subjects With Tourette Syndrome
NCT02247206PHASE2COMPLETEDVoIP Delivered Behavior Therapy for Tourette Syndrome
NCT02581865PHASE2COMPLETEDSafety and Efficacy Study of NBI-98854 in Adults With Tourette Syndrome