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]
Overall distribution
Tissue specific distribution
Overall distribution
Tissue specific distribution
Gscore (Amp):
0.00
Gscore (Del):
0.75 (Driver)
Recurrently deleted in 4 cancer type(s)
Overall distribution
Tissue specific distribution
Mscore:
0.00
Overall
Tissue specific
Total fusion occurrence:
1
Fusions detected in 1 cancer type(s)
Overall
Tissue specific
Functional class:
Enzyme
JensenLab PubMed score:
265.00 (Percentile rank: 84.81%)
PubTator score:
110.68 (Percentile rank: 79.07%)
Target development/druggability level:
TchemThese targets have activities in ChEMBL or DrugCentral that satisfy the activity thresholds detailed below.
Tractability (small molecule):
Discovery PrecedenceTargets with ligands; Targets with crystal structures with ligands
