Glycerol kinase 2 (GK2)

Glycerol kinase 2 is a protein encoded by the GK2 gene, primarily expressed in human testis, with roles in male fertility and sperm mitochondrial sheath formation[2][3][4]. It belongs to the enzyme class of phosphotransferases acting on alcohol groups and catalyzes the conversion of glycerol to glycerol-3-phosphate, a key step in glycolysis and lipid synthesis in various organisms, though the human GK2 may have limited or different enzymatic activity compared to canonical glycerol kinase[3][4]. Mutations or deficiency in GK2 are linked to disorders such as glycerol kinase deficiency and may contribute to male infertility due to impaired sperm mitochondrial organization[3][4]. GK2 interacts functionally with mitochondrial dynamics by upregulating phosphatidic acid synthesis, vital for mitochondrial clustering during spermatogenesis[3][4]. No therapeutic drugs or biomarker applications specific to GK2 are documented, and there are no current safety-related challenges or clinical interventions targeting this enzyme.

Other names

GKP2GKTAGK 2Glycerokinase 2ATP:glycerol 3-phosphotransferase 2Glycerol kinase, testis specific 2glycerol kinase pseudogene 2testis tissue sperm-binding protein Li 77m