Biochemistry · Enzyme
Glucose-6-phosphatase !
Glucose-6-phosphatase releases glucose into the blood from liver and kidney; it is the last step of both gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis.
Updated 2026-11-01
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Key facts
- Glucose 6-phosphate + H₂O → glucose + Pi, inside the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum.
- It is a system: the G6PT transporter (SLC37A4) carries glucose 6-phosphate into the ER and the catalytic subunit (G6PC1) hydrolyses it.
- Present in liver, kidney and intestine; absent from muscle and brain.
- Its absence (G6PC1: GSD Ia; SLC37A4: Ib) is von Gierke disease.
Regulation
- Fasting, glucagon and glucocorticoids increase its transcription.
- Insulin represses it.
Inhibitors and toxins
- Vanadate (experimental)
Clinical notes
- In GSD I trapped glucose 6-phosphate is diverted to lactate, triglycerides and uric acid: hypoglycaemia, lactic acidosis, hyperlipidaemia and hyperuricaemia.
- In type Ib there is also neutropenia and infection, because neutrophils need the transporter.
- A ubiquitous form (G6PC3) is expressed in neutrophils; its deficiency causes congenital neutropenia.
Pathways
Related conditions
Related
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Why does muscle not release glucose into the blood?
It has no glucose-6-phosphatase; it uses its glucose 6-phosphate only in glycolysis.
In which cell compartment does glucose-6-phosphatase work?
In the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum, which glucose 6-phosphate reaches through the SLC37A4 transporter.
Why does its deficiency raise uric acid?
Trapped glucose 6-phosphate feeds the pentose pathway (more purines) and lactate competes with urate in the kidney.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Sources: G6PC1: Glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit 1 (human) (UniProt, 2026); G6PC1 gene: MedlinePlus Genetics (MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, 2026); SLC37A4 gene: MedlinePlus Genetics (MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, 2026); 9JTM: Human glucose 6 phosphate catalytic subunit 1 (hG6PC1) bound with G6P (RCSB Protein Data Bank, 2026); Textbook of Biochemistry for Medical Students, 6th ed. (Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (Vasudevan DM, Sreekumari S, Vaidyanathan K), 2011).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.