glycerol kinase (glycerokinase, GK, ATP:glycerol 3-phosphotransferase)

Function

• key enzyme in the regulation of glycerol uptake & metabolism
• glycerol utilization, rate-limiting step

ATP + glycerol <--> ADP + sn-glycerol 3-phosphate

Structure

belongs to the FGGY kinase family

Compartment

• mitochondrial outer membrane
• peripheral membrane, cytoplasmic side
• cytoplasm
• in sperm & fetal tissues, majority of the enzyme is bound to mitochondria, but in adult tissues, including liver, it is found in cytoplasm

Alternative splicing

named isoforms=3

Expression

• highly expressed in the liver, kidney & testis
• isoforms 2 & 3 are expressed specifically in testis & fetal liver, but not in the adult liver

Pathology

• defects in GK are the cause of GK deficiency

More general terms

• kinase or ATP-phosphotransferase

More specific terms

• glycerol kinase 2; GK 2; glycerokinase 2; ATP:glycerol 3-phosphotransferase 2; glycerol kinase, testis specific 2 (GK2, GKP2, GKTA)
• glycerol kinase 3; GK 3; glycerokinase 3; ATP:glycerol 3-phosphotransferase 3; glycerol kinase, testis specific 1 (GK3P, GKP3, GKTB)
• glycerol kinase 5 (ATP:glycerol 3-phosphotransferase, GK5)

Database

• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P32189.html
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/600149
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/307030