GALE

This gene encodes UDP-galactose-4-epimerase which catalyzes two distinct but analogous reactions: the epimerization of UDP-glucose to UDP-galactose, and the epimerization of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine to UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine. The bifunctional nature of the enzyme has the important metabolic consequence that mutant cells (or individuals) are dependent not only on exogenous galactose, but also on exogenous N-acetylgalactosamine as a necessary precursor for the synthesis of glycoproteins and glycolipids. Mutations in this gene result in epimerase-deficiency galactosemia, also referred to as galactosemia type 3, a disease characterized by liver damage, early-onset cataracts, deafness and cognitive disability, with symptoms ranging from mild ('peripheral' form) to severe ('generalized' form). Multiple alternatively spliced transcripts encoding the same protein have been identified. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]

Description

UDP-galactose-4-epimerase

Tissue specificity

Tissue enhanced (stomach)

Subcell location

Golgi apparatus, Cytosol

Predicted location

Intracellular

Protein family

Disease related genes
Enzymes
Human disease related genes
Mapped to neXtProt
Mapped to UniProt SWISS-PROT
Metabolic proteins
Potential drug targets
Predicted intracellular proteins
Protein evidence (Ezkurdia et al 2014)
Protein evidence (Kim et al 2014)

Chromosome

1 (23795599 - 23800781)

Ensembl ID

ENSG00000117308  (ver. 103.38)

Orthologs

Mouse Gale: ENSMUSG00000028671

UniProt

Q14376

neXtProt

NX_Q14376

Human splice variants
Mouse splice variants

Protein structure