GALE
Gene Information
- Official Symbol: GALE
- Official Name: UDP-galactose-4-epimerase
- Aliases and Previous Symbols: N/A
- Entrez ID: 2582
- UniProt: Q14376
- Interactions: BioGRID
- PubMed articles: Open PubMed
- OMIM: Open OMIM
Function Summary
- Entrez Summary: 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].
- UniProt Summary: Catalyzes two distinct but analogous reactions: the reversible epimerization of UDP-glucose to UDP-galactose and the reversible epimerization of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine to UDP-N- acetylgalactosamine. The reaction with UDP-Gal plays a critical role in the Leloir pathway of galactose catabolism in which galactose is converted to the glycolytic intermediate glucose 6- phosphate. It contributes to the catabolism of dietary galactose and enables the endogenous biosynthesis of both UDP-Gal and UDP- GalNAc when exogenous sources are limited. Both UDP-sugar interconversions are important in the synthesis of glycoproteins and glycolipids. {ECO:0000269|PubMed:22654673, ECO:0000303|PubMed:23732289}.
CRISPR Data
Essentiality in NALM6
- Essentiality Rank: 3910
- Expression level (log2 read counts): 4.15
GALE Expression in NALM6 Cells: 4.15
