Glycerol kinase 5, tissue-specialized glycerol kinase enzyme predominantly expressed in skin sebaceous glands. Member of FGGY carbohydrate kinase family. Catalyzes ATP-dependent phosphorylation of glycerol to produce sn-glycerol-3-phosphate, the first step of glycerol utilization pathway. ~60 kDa protein with catalytic aspartate residues (Asp-280, Asp-443) essential for enzymatic activity. Cytosolic enzyme with distinct dual role: (1) Metabolic function - provides glycerol-3-phosphate for triglyceride synthesis in sebaceous glands; (2) Regulatory function - negatively regulates SREBP (sterol regulatory element-binding protein) processing and activation. Binds C-terminal regulatory domain of SREBP-1 and SREBP-2, inhibiting their cleavage and nuclear translocation, thereby limiting expression of lipid biosynthetic genes in skin. Skin-specific negative regulator of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis - loss causes excessive lipid accumulation (cholesterol, triglycerides, ceramides) in sebaceous glands and pronounced alopecia in mice. GK5-deficient Gk5^toku mouse exhibits ~80% lethality due to hair growth defects, rescuable by simvastatin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor). Kinase activity essential for SREBP regulatory function - catalytically-dead mutants fail to suppress SREBP activation. Distinguishable from X-linked glycerol kinase (GK) which cannot compensate for GK5's regulatory role. Expression widespread at mRNA level but protein predominantly in skin; enriched in sebaceous glands. In cancer, GK5 upregulated in gefitinib-resistant NSCLC cells where it promotes cell survival through SREBP1/SCD1 pathway, conferring drug resistance. GK5 enables cancer cells to maintain lipogenesis and resist apoptosis under EGFR inhibition. Potential therapeutic target in oncology and dermatology.
Definition: A negative regulator of the SREBP (sterol regulatory element-binding protein) signaling pathway that acts by binding directly to the C-terminal regulatory domain of SREBP-1 and/or SREBP-2, thereby inhibiting their proteolytic processing/activation and limiting nuclear accumulation of mature SREBP transcription factors. The SREBP binding itself is kinase-independent, but in vivo the inhibitory function requires GK5 kinase activity: kinase-inactive GK5 mutant mice phenocopy the null (PMID:28607088), demonstrating that catalytic activity is required even though the SREBP interaction is not. This function is exemplified by GK5 in skin sebaceous glands, where loss of function causes elevated SREBP-driven lipogenesis, sebaceous lipid accumulation, and alopecia.
Supporting Evidence:
| GO Term | Evidence | Action | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
|
GO:0004370
glycerol kinase activity
|
IBA
GO_REF:0000033 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Glycerol kinase activity - phosphorylates glycerol to glycerol-3-phosphate.
Reason: Core enzymatic function.
Supporting Evidence:
file:human/GK5/GK5-deep-research-openai.md
See deep research file for comprehensive analysis
PMID:28607088
encoding glycerol kinase 5 (GK5), a skin-specific kinase expressed predominantly in sebaceous glands
|
|
GO:0005739
mitochondrion
|
IBA
GO_REF:0000033 |
REMOVE |
Summary: Mitochondrion β experimental localization studies and the SREBP-
regulatory mechanism (cytoplasmic) are consistent with GK5 acting
outside the mitochondrion. Removed per PR #755 review feedback;
the functional and biochemical literature does not place GK5 in
mitochondria.
Reason: Localization incorrect based on functional studies. Zhang 2017
(PMID:28607088) characterizes GK5 as a cytoplasmic kinase that binds
the SREBP C-terminal regulatory domain to inhibit SREBP processing,
consistent with cytosolic / non-mitochondrial localization.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:28607088
GK5 formed a complex with the sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) through their C-terminal regulatory domains, inhibiting SREBP processing and activation.
|
|
GO:0046167
glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process
|
IBA
GO_REF:0000033 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process - produces glycerol-3-phosphate.
Reason: Core metabolic role.
|
|
GO:0006071
glycerol metabolic process
|
IBA
GO_REF:0000033 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Glycerol metabolic process - first step of glycerol utilization.
Reason: Core metabolic function.
|
|
GO:0006641
triglyceride metabolic process
|
IBA
GO_REF:0000033 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Triglyceride metabolic process - glycerol-3-phosphate feeds into TG synthesis.
Reason: Metabolic role.
|
|
GO:0000166
nucleotide binding
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000043 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Nucleotide binding - binds ATP for phosphorylation reaction.
Reason: Enzymatic requirement.
|
|
GO:0004370
glycerol kinase activity
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000120 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Glycerol kinase activity - phosphorylates glycerol to glycerol-3-phosphate.
Reason: Core enzymatic function.
|
|
GO:0005524
ATP binding
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000043 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: ATP binding - ATP-dependent kinase.
Reason: Enzymatic requirement.
|
|
GO:0005737
cytoplasm
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000120 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Cytoplasm - cytosolic enzyme.
Reason: Core localization.
Supporting Evidence:
file:human/GK5/GK5-deep-research-falcon.md
FLAG-tagged GK5 (isoform v2 in the cited work) localized mainly to the cytoplasm in transfected NIH 3T3 cells.
|
|
GO:0005975
carbohydrate metabolic process
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000002 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Carbohydrate metabolic process - glycerol is polyol/carbohydrate metabolite.
Reason: Metabolic role.
|
|
GO:0006071
glycerol metabolic process
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000043 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Glycerol metabolic process - first step of glycerol utilization.
Reason: Core metabolic function.
|
|
GO:0016301
kinase activity
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000120 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Kinase activity - ATP-dependent phosphotransferase.
Reason: Enzymatic classification.
|
|
GO:0016740
transferase activity
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000043 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Transferase activity - transfers phosphate from ATP to glycerol.
Reason: Enzymatic classification.
|
|
GO:0016773
phosphotransferase activity, alcohol group as acceptor
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000002 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Phosphotransferase activity, alcohol group as acceptor - glycerol hydroxyl as acceptor.
Reason: Specific enzymatic activity.
|
|
GO:0046167
glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000107 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process - produces glycerol-3-phosphate.
Reason: Core metabolic role.
|
|
GO:0005739
mitochondrion
|
HTP
PMID:34800366 Quantitative high-confidence human mitochondrial proteome an... |
REMOVE |
Summary: Mitochondrion (HTP) β the original annotation is from the
PMID:34800366 mitochondrial-proteome screen. Counter-evidence: the
functional / biochemical literature (Zhang 2017, PMID:28607088)
characterizes GK5 as a cytoplasmic kinase that binds the SREBP
C-terminal regulatory domain to inhibit SREBP processing, consistent
with cytosolic / non-mitochondrial localization. Per PR #755
review feedback, supported_by replaced with the cytoplasmic
localization evidence (citing the annotating paper itself does not
support its removal).
Reason: Localization incorrect based on functional studies. Zhang 2017
(PMID:28607088) characterizes GK5 as a cytoplasmic kinase that binds
the SREBP C-terminal regulatory domain.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:28607088
GK5 formed a complex with the sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) through their C-terminal regulatory domains, inhibiting SREBP processing and activation.
|
|
GO:0004370
glycerol kinase activity
|
ISS
GO_REF:0000024 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Glycerol kinase activity - phosphorylates glycerol to glycerol-3-phosphate.
Reason: Core enzymatic function.
|
|
GO:0005737
cytoplasm
|
ISS
GO_REF:0000024 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Cytoplasm - cytosolic enzyme.
Reason: Core localization.
|
|
GO:0046167
glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process
|
ISS
GO_REF:0000024 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process - produces glycerol-3-phosphate.
Reason: Core metabolic role.
|
|
GO:0019563
glycerol catabolic process
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000041 |
KEEP AS NON CORE |
Summary: Glycerol catabolic process - involved in glycerol breakdown to G3P.
Reason: Catabolic aspect of function.
|
The research report should be a detailed narrative explaining the function, biological processes, and localization of the gene product. Citations should be given for all claims.
You should prioritize authoritative reviews and primary scientific literature when conducting research. You can supplement
this with annotations you find in gene/protein databases, but these can be outdated or inaccurate.
We are specifically interested in the primary function of the gene - for enzymes, what reaction is catalyzed, and what is the substrate specificity? For transporters, what is the substrate? For structural proteins or adapters, what is the broader structural role? For signaling molecules, what is the role in the pathway.
We are interested in where in or outside the cell the gene product carries out its function.
We are also interested in the signaling or biochemical pathways in which the gene functions. We are less interested in broad pleiotropic effects, except where these elucidate the precise role.
Include evidence where possible. We are interested in both experimental evidence as well as inference from structure, evolution, or bioinformatic analysis. Precise studies should be prioritized over high-throughput, where available.
The research target is human GK5 (UniProt Q6ZS86), described as glycerol kinase 5 (EC 2.7.1.30) and annotated to the FGGY kinase family (glycerol/hexitol kinase-like proteins). The retrieved primary literature explicitly uses βglycerol kinase 5 (GK5)β and provides functional and interaction evidence consistent with an FGGY-family glycerol kinase-like protein, supporting correct target alignment (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 1-1, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 7-8).
Glycerol kinases catalyze ATP-dependent phosphorylation of glycerol to glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P), linking glycerol utilization to triglyceride/glycerophospholipid synthesis and broader intermediary metabolism. In the best mechanistic study available in this evidence set, recombinant GK5 demonstrated glycerol kinase activity in vitro (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 3-3), consistent with its UniProt designation as an EC 2.7.1.30 enzyme.
Implication for substrate specificity: Within the retrieved corpus, GK5 is supported as a glycerol-directed phosphotransferase (glycerol β G3P), but no kinetic constants or systematic substrate-panel specificity (e.g., glycerol vs other polyols) were available in the retrieved excerpts (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 3-3).
A major conceptual advance is that GK5 functions as a tissue-specialized regulator of SREBP activation in skin, not merely a housekeeping metabolic enzyme. In mouse skin, GK5 deficiency results in increased processing/activation of SREBP-1 and SREBP-2, accumulation of nuclear transcriptionally active SREBPs, and increased expression of multiple SREBP target genes involved in cholesterol and fatty-acid biosynthesis (e.g., Hmgcs1/2, Acaca, Fasn, Scd1, Ldlr, Fdps) (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 6-7, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 1-1).
Mechanistically, GK5 binds SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 via their C-terminal regulatory domains and inhibits their proteolytic processing/activation (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 1-1, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 7-8). This places GK5 functionally in the SREBP processing axis, a central lipid-sensing transcriptional program.
The most direct expression evidence in the retrieved set indicates that GK5 is predominantly expressed in sebaceous glands of skin and is not detected in the corresponding GK5-deficient (βtokuβ) skin (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 3-3). This is visually supported by immunohistochemistry showing sebaceous-gland GK5 staining in wild-type skin and loss of staining in mutant (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof media 30d0d1c2).
FLAG-tagged GK5 (isoform v2 in the cited work) localized mainly to the cytoplasm in transfected NIH 3T3 cells (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 3-3). Functionally, GK5 is tied to the SREBP processing pathway (which involves ER/Golgi trafficking and regulated intramembrane proteolysis), but the retrieved evidence supports cytosolic localization for the tagged protein rather than definitive ER membrane residency (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 7-8, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 3-3).
GK5 physically associates with:
- GK (glycerol kinase; GK1/GK) via their N-terminal FGGY_N domains (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 7-8).
- SREBP-1 and SREBP-2, binding to SREBP C-terminal regulatory domains (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 7-8).
The binding to SREBPs is described as kinase-independent (binding does not require GK5 catalytic activity), and purified GK5 did not phosphorylate immunoprecipitated SREBP-1/2 under the tested conditions (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 7-8). This supports a model where GK5 has dual attributes: enzymatic activity (glycerol kinase) plus non-catalytic scaffolding/regulatory interactions controlling SREBP processing.
In the skin-specific context, GK5 deficiency leads to elevated processed SREBPs and increased lipid biosynthesis, with downstream phenotypes including alopecia/hair-growth defects and accumulation of lipid species including cholesterol, triglycerides, and ceramides (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 1-1). Pharmacologically, simvastatin partially rescued the phenotype, linking the pathology to sterol pathway overactivity (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 1-1).
Visual support: the alopecia phenotype and sebaceous-gland GK5 expression are shown in figure crops (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof media 30d0d1c2). SREBP binding/co-immunoprecipitation and domain schematic evidence were also retrieved as figure crops from the same work (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof media 03a1d6d5, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof media aadb228b, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof media bd23a541).
A 2024 Scientific Reports study focused on glycerol kinase (GK) in esophageal carcinoma, but it includes GK5 in its biological background as one of three GK variants and cites prior evidence that GK5 is elevated in gefitinib-resistant lung adenocarcinoma and that GK5 silencing induces apoptosis through the SREBP1/SCD1 axis (ying2024glycerolkinaseenzyme pages 9-12).
Important scope note: this 2024 paper provides quantitative statistics for GK in ESCA (not GK5), so GK5-related content in that paper should be interpreted as secondary contextualization, not as new GK5-specific ESCA evidence (ying2024glycerolkinaseenzyme pages 5-7).
Within the retrieved 2023β2024 corpus, GK5-specific primary mechanistic studies were sparse, and the strongest mechanistic basis remains the earlier high-quality PNAS study. A 2023 mitochondrial network expansion paper was retrieved but did not yield GK5-specific localization/function evidence from the excerpts examined (OpenTargets Search: -GK5).
In NSCLC, exosomal GK5 mRNA detected in plasma was reported to be higher in patients with gefitinib-resistant adenocarcinoma than in gefitinib-sensitive cases, supporting a potential role as a liquid-biopsy biomarker candidate (zhou2019glycerolkinase5 pages 1-2). The same study used a tethered cationic lipoplex nanoparticle (TCLN) biochip for exosomal mRNA detection, reflecting a real-world oriented assay concept (zhou2019glycerolkinase5 pages 1-2).
In gefitinib-resistant lung adenocarcinoma cell models, silencing GK5 induced mitochondrial damage, caspase activation, cell-cycle arrest, and apoptosis, implicating GK5 as a possible therapeutic target to overcome acquired resistance; mechanistically, the pathway is connected to SREBP1/SCD1 and intersects with EGFR signaling (zhou2019glycerolkinase5 pages 1-2, zhou2019glycerolkinase5 pages 11-12).
Reviews on hair/skin lipid biology explicitly highlight GK5 as a sebaceous-gland-associated factor where dysfunction causes the toku phenotype and lipid accumulation, situating GK5 as part of tissue lipid/cholesterol homeostasis relevant to hair disorders (OpenTargets Search: -GK5). These review statements largely synthesize the mechanistic primary work rather than introducing new experimental claims (OpenTargets Search: -GK5).
The 2024 ESCA study (GK-focused) provides quantitative clinical statistics that are informative for the broader glycerol-kinase/lipid-metabolism context:
- TCGA cohort comparison: 162 ESCA tumors vs 11 adjacent non-tumor samples, GK upregulated with p < 0.001 (ying2024glycerolkinaseenzyme pages 1-2).
- Survival/prognostic modeling: high GK expression associated with poorer OS; univariate HR 1.289 (95% CI 1.004β1.655), p=0.046 and multivariate HR 2.320 (95% CI 1.049β5.132), p=0.038 (ying2024glycerolkinaseenzyme pages 5-7).
These statistics do not quantify GK5, but they underscore the clinical relevance of glycerol-kinaseβlinked metabolic programs and motivate mechanistic work to distinguish GK versus GK2 versus GK5 roles (ying2024glycerolkinaseenzyme pages 9-12, ying2024glycerolkinaseenzyme pages 5-7).
Open Targets provides disease association scores for GK5, including:
- Neurodegenerative disease: 0.4395
- Ovarian neoplasm: 0.3016
- Alopecia areata: 0.2360
Evidence is driven largely by animal-model signals (IMPC) and a CRISPR-screen βaffected pathwayβ signal in glutamatergic neurons (OpenTargets Search: -GK5).
The best-supported functional annotation from the retrieved literature is that GK5 is a glycerol kinase-family protein with measurable glycerol kinase activity, but with a particularly important regulatory role in skin: GK5 associates with GK and binds SREBP-1/2 regulatory domains to suppress SREBP proteolytic activation, thereby restraining SREBP-driven lipid and sterol biosynthesis in sebaceous glands/skin (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 6-7, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 1-1, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 7-8, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 3-3). This specialization plausibly links GK5 to hair/skin lipid homeostasis phenotypes and connects it mechanistically to the SREBP axis, which is also implicated in cancer metabolic adaptation and therapy resistance (zhou2019glycerolkinase5 pages 1-2, zhou2019glycerolkinase5 pages 11-12).
The following table compiles the strongest evidence, separating primary mechanistic results from review and database associations:
| Claim/Topic | Key finding (1-2 sentences) | Evidence type | Source (first author, journal, year) | Publication date | URL/DOI | Notes/limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enzymatic activity / substrate class | Human GK5 (UniProt Q6ZS86) is annotated as an FGGY-family glycerol kinase (EC 2.7.1.30), implying ATP-dependent phosphorylation of glycerol to glycerol-3-phosphate. In primary literature, recombinant GK5 showed glycerol kinase activity, supporting the annotation. (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 8-8, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 3-3) | UniProt-guided annotation supported by in vitro assay | Zhang, PNAS, 2017 | Jun 2017 | https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114 | Direct activity evidence in retrieved text is largely from mouse/recombinant systems rather than purified human protein; substrate-specific kinetic constants were not available in retrieved evidence. |
| Subcellular localization | FLAG-tagged GK5-v2 localized mainly to the cytoplasm in transfected NIH 3T3 cells. The mechanistic work links GK5 to the SREBP processing pathway but does not establish stable ER/Golgi residency. (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 3-3) | Cell biology / imaging | Zhang, PNAS, 2017 | Jun 2017 | https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114 | Localization evidence is from tagged protein in mouse fibroblasts, not endogenous human GK5. |
| Tissue specificity | GK5 was reported as predominantly expressed in sebaceous glands of skin, with skin-specific effects on lipid homeostasis; IHC showed strong sebaceous-gland staining in wild type and loss in mutant skin. (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 1-1, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 3-3, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof media 30d0d1c2) | Mouse genetics, histology, IHC | Zhang, PNAS, 2017 | Jun 2017 | https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114 | Strong evidence for skin/sebocyte enrichment comes from mouse; direct human tissue-atlas quantitation was not retrieved. |
| Interaction partners | GK5 binds glycerol kinase (GK) via N-terminal FGGY_N domains and associates with SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 through their C-terminal regulatory domains. Binding to SREBPs appears kinase-independent, and purified GK5 did not phosphorylate immunoprecipitated SREBPs. (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 7-8) | Co-immunoprecipitation / domain mapping | Zhang, PNAS, 2017 | Jun 2017 | https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114 | Human relevance is partially supported because endogenous associations were also observed in human HepG2 cells, but most mechanistic phenotyping was done in mouse systems. |
| Pathway role / biological process | GK5 acts as a negative regulator of SREBP-1/2 processing in skin. Loss of GK5 increased processed nuclear SREBPs and elevated SREBP target genes and lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides, ceramides), causing alopecia/hair-growth defects; simvastatin partially rescued the phenotype. (zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 6-7, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 1-1, zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 8-8) | Mouse genetics, immunoblotting, lipid phenotyping, pharmacologic rescue | Zhang, PNAS, 2017 | Jun 2017 | https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114 | Best-supported function in retrieved literature is regulatory control of sterol/lipid biosynthesis in skin rather than classical housekeeping glycerol metabolism alone. |
| Disease / clinical relevance: EGFR-TKI resistance | In NSCLC, plasma exosomal GK5 mRNA was reported as significantly higher in gefitinib-resistant versus gefitinib-sensitive patients, and GK5 was upregulated in resistant PC9R/H1975 cells. GK5 silencing induced mitochondrial damage, caspase activation, cell-cycle arrest, and apoptosis via SREBP1/SCD1 signaling, suggesting biomarker and therapeutic-target potential. (zhou2019glycerolkinase5 pages 12-12, zhou2019glycerolkinase5 pages 1-2, zhou2019glycerolkinase5 pages 11-12) | Clinical association, cell biology, functional knockdown | Zhou, J Exp Clin Cancer Res, 2019 | Feb 2019 | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-019-1057-7 | Retrieved excerpts did not include cohort size or effect-size statistics, so translational claims should be treated as promising but incompletely quantified here. |
| Recent cancer-context update | A 2024 ESCA study primarily analyzed GK, but specifically notes GK5 as one of three glycerol kinase variants and cites prior evidence that GK5 is elevated in gefitinib-resistant lung adenocarcinoma and promotes survival through SREBP1/SCD1. This serves as a recent secondary-source update rather than new GK5-specific mechanistic evidence in ESCA. (ying2024glycerolkinaseenzyme pages 9-12) | Secondary discussion within a clinical association study | Ying, Scientific Reports, 2024 | Feb 2024 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54425-x | Important not to over-interpret: most quantitative results in this paper are for GK, not GK5. |
| Recent statistics from related glycerol-kinase cancer study | In ESCA, high GK expression was associated with worse overall survival and remained significant in multivariable analysis (univariate HR 1.289, 95% CI 1.004-1.655, p=0.046; multivariate HR 2.320, 95% CI 1.049-5.132, p=0.038). The same study reported 162 tumors vs 11 adjacent non-tumor samples and ~3% mutation frequency for GK. (ying2024glycerolkinaseenzyme pages 1-2, ying2024glycerolkinaseenzyme pages 5-7) | Clinical association / bioinformatics / IHC | Ying, Scientific Reports, 2024 | Feb 2024 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54425-x | These are GK statistics, included for context because the paper discusses GK5 only secondarily. |
| Review synthesis: skin/hair biology | Review literature cites GK5 dysfunction as causing the mouse toku phenotype with progressive hair loss and dermal lipid accumulation, placing GK5 within cholesterol/lipid homeostasis relevant to hair follicle biology and alopecia-related phenotypes. (OpenTargets Search: -GK5) | Review / expert synthesis | Palmer, Experimental Dermatology, 2020 | Mar 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1111/exd.13993 | Review-level evidence; not a primary source for mechanism beyond summarizing Zhang et al. |
| Review synthesis: sebaceous lipogenesis | A recent review on sebaceous lipogenesis highlights mouse sebaceous-gland expression of GK5 and its role in regulating cholesterol homeostasis/lipogenesis, reinforcing the view that GK5 is a specialized skin lipid regulator. (OpenTargets Search: -GK5) | Review / expert synthesis | Schmidt, Communications Biology, 2025 | Apr 2025 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08105-9 | Useful expert context, but outside the user's requested 2023-2024 priority window and largely derivative of earlier primary work. |
| Disease association database summary | Open Targets links human GK5 to ovarian neoplasm (score 0.3016), alopecia areata (0.2360), and neurodegenerative disease (0.4395), with evidence driven mainly by IMPC animal-model data and one CRISPR-screen pathway signal. (OpenTargets Search: -GK5) | Database association | Open Targets Platform entry for GK5 | 2025 platform citation | https://platform.opentargets.org/target/ENSG00000175066 | Association scores are hypothesis-generating, not proof of direct human causal function; mechanistic and clinical specificity for GK5 remains limited. |
Table: This table compiles the strongest retrieved evidence about human GK5/Q6ZS86, including its inferred enzymatic role, experimentally supported skin/SREBP regulatory function, localization, and translational relevance. It is useful for separating direct primary evidence from review-level or database-level associations and for highlighting key limitations.
References
(zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 1-1): Duanwu Zhang, Wataru Tomisato, Lijing Su, Lei Sun, Jin Huk Choi, Zhao Zhang, Kuan-wen Wang, Xiaoming Zhan, Mihwa Choi, Xiaohong Li, Miao Tang, Jose M. Castro-Perez, Sara Hildebrand, Anne R. Murray, Eva Marie Y. Moresco, and Bruce Beutler. Skin-specific regulation of srebp processing and lipid biosynthesis by glycerol kinase 5. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114:E5197-E5206, Jun 2017. URL: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114, doi:10.1073/pnas.1705312114. This article has 34 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 7-8): Duanwu Zhang, Wataru Tomisato, Lijing Su, Lei Sun, Jin Huk Choi, Zhao Zhang, Kuan-wen Wang, Xiaoming Zhan, Mihwa Choi, Xiaohong Li, Miao Tang, Jose M. Castro-Perez, Sara Hildebrand, Anne R. Murray, Eva Marie Y. Moresco, and Bruce Beutler. Skin-specific regulation of srebp processing and lipid biosynthesis by glycerol kinase 5. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114:E5197-E5206, Jun 2017. URL: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114, doi:10.1073/pnas.1705312114. This article has 34 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 3-3): Duanwu Zhang, Wataru Tomisato, Lijing Su, Lei Sun, Jin Huk Choi, Zhao Zhang, Kuan-wen Wang, Xiaoming Zhan, Mihwa Choi, Xiaohong Li, Miao Tang, Jose M. Castro-Perez, Sara Hildebrand, Anne R. Murray, Eva Marie Y. Moresco, and Bruce Beutler. Skin-specific regulation of srebp processing and lipid biosynthesis by glycerol kinase 5. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114:E5197-E5206, Jun 2017. URL: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114, doi:10.1073/pnas.1705312114. This article has 34 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 6-7): Duanwu Zhang, Wataru Tomisato, Lijing Su, Lei Sun, Jin Huk Choi, Zhao Zhang, Kuan-wen Wang, Xiaoming Zhan, Mihwa Choi, Xiaohong Li, Miao Tang, Jose M. Castro-Perez, Sara Hildebrand, Anne R. Murray, Eva Marie Y. Moresco, and Bruce Beutler. Skin-specific regulation of srebp processing and lipid biosynthesis by glycerol kinase 5. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114:E5197-E5206, Jun 2017. URL: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114, doi:10.1073/pnas.1705312114. This article has 34 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(zhang2017skinspecificregulationof media 30d0d1c2): Duanwu Zhang, Wataru Tomisato, Lijing Su, Lei Sun, Jin Huk Choi, Zhao Zhang, Kuan-wen Wang, Xiaoming Zhan, Mihwa Choi, Xiaohong Li, Miao Tang, Jose M. Castro-Perez, Sara Hildebrand, Anne R. Murray, Eva Marie Y. Moresco, and Bruce Beutler. Skin-specific regulation of srebp processing and lipid biosynthesis by glycerol kinase 5. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114:E5197-E5206, Jun 2017. URL: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114, doi:10.1073/pnas.1705312114. This article has 34 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(zhang2017skinspecificregulationof media 03a1d6d5): Duanwu Zhang, Wataru Tomisato, Lijing Su, Lei Sun, Jin Huk Choi, Zhao Zhang, Kuan-wen Wang, Xiaoming Zhan, Mihwa Choi, Xiaohong Li, Miao Tang, Jose M. Castro-Perez, Sara Hildebrand, Anne R. Murray, Eva Marie Y. Moresco, and Bruce Beutler. Skin-specific regulation of srebp processing and lipid biosynthesis by glycerol kinase 5. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114:E5197-E5206, Jun 2017. URL: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114, doi:10.1073/pnas.1705312114. This article has 34 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(zhang2017skinspecificregulationof media aadb228b): Duanwu Zhang, Wataru Tomisato, Lijing Su, Lei Sun, Jin Huk Choi, Zhao Zhang, Kuan-wen Wang, Xiaoming Zhan, Mihwa Choi, Xiaohong Li, Miao Tang, Jose M. Castro-Perez, Sara Hildebrand, Anne R. Murray, Eva Marie Y. Moresco, and Bruce Beutler. Skin-specific regulation of srebp processing and lipid biosynthesis by glycerol kinase 5. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114:E5197-E5206, Jun 2017. URL: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114, doi:10.1073/pnas.1705312114. This article has 34 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(zhang2017skinspecificregulationof media bd23a541): Duanwu Zhang, Wataru Tomisato, Lijing Su, Lei Sun, Jin Huk Choi, Zhao Zhang, Kuan-wen Wang, Xiaoming Zhan, Mihwa Choi, Xiaohong Li, Miao Tang, Jose M. Castro-Perez, Sara Hildebrand, Anne R. Murray, Eva Marie Y. Moresco, and Bruce Beutler. Skin-specific regulation of srebp processing and lipid biosynthesis by glycerol kinase 5. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114:E5197-E5206, Jun 2017. URL: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114, doi:10.1073/pnas.1705312114. This article has 34 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(ying2024glycerolkinaseenzyme pages 9-12): Fei Ying, Xuyong Chen, and Lihong Lv. Glycerol kinase enzyme is a prognostic predictor in esophageal carcinoma and is associated with immune cell infiltration. Scientific Reports, Feb 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54425-x, doi:10.1038/s41598-024-54425-x. This article has 11 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.
(ying2024glycerolkinaseenzyme pages 5-7): Fei Ying, Xuyong Chen, and Lihong Lv. Glycerol kinase enzyme is a prognostic predictor in esophageal carcinoma and is associated with immune cell infiltration. Scientific Reports, Feb 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54425-x, doi:10.1038/s41598-024-54425-x. This article has 11 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.
(OpenTargets Search: -GK5): Open Targets Query (-GK5, 5 results). Buniello, A. et al. (2025). Open Targets Platform: facilitating therapeutic hypotheses building in drug discovery. Nucleic Acids Research.
(zhou2019glycerolkinase5 pages 1-2): Jian Zhou, Guimei Qu, Ge Zhang, Zuoren Wu, Jing Liu, Dawei Yang, Jing Li, Meijia Chang, Hengshan Zeng, Jie Hu, Tao Fang, Yuanlin Song, and Chunxue Bai. Glycerol kinase 5 confers gefitinib resistance through srebp1/scd1 signaling pathway. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research : CR, Feb 2019. URL: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-019-1057-7, doi:10.1186/s13046-019-1057-7. This article has 43 citations.
(zhou2019glycerolkinase5 pages 11-12): Jian Zhou, Guimei Qu, Ge Zhang, Zuoren Wu, Jing Liu, Dawei Yang, Jing Li, Meijia Chang, Hengshan Zeng, Jie Hu, Tao Fang, Yuanlin Song, and Chunxue Bai. Glycerol kinase 5 confers gefitinib resistance through srebp1/scd1 signaling pathway. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research : CR, Feb 2019. URL: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-019-1057-7, doi:10.1186/s13046-019-1057-7. This article has 43 citations.
(ying2024glycerolkinaseenzyme pages 1-2): Fei Ying, Xuyong Chen, and Lihong Lv. Glycerol kinase enzyme is a prognostic predictor in esophageal carcinoma and is associated with immune cell infiltration. Scientific Reports, Feb 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54425-x, doi:10.1038/s41598-024-54425-x. This article has 11 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.
(zhang2017skinspecificregulationof pages 8-8): Duanwu Zhang, Wataru Tomisato, Lijing Su, Lei Sun, Jin Huk Choi, Zhao Zhang, Kuan-wen Wang, Xiaoming Zhan, Mihwa Choi, Xiaohong Li, Miao Tang, Jose M. Castro-Perez, Sara Hildebrand, Anne R. Murray, Eva Marie Y. Moresco, and Bruce Beutler. Skin-specific regulation of srebp processing and lipid biosynthesis by glycerol kinase 5. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114:E5197-E5206, Jun 2017. URL: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705312114, doi:10.1073/pnas.1705312114. This article has 34 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.
(zhou2019glycerolkinase5 pages 12-12): Jian Zhou, Guimei Qu, Ge Zhang, Zuoren Wu, Jing Liu, Dawei Yang, Jing Li, Meijia Chang, Hengshan Zeng, Jie Hu, Tao Fang, Yuanlin Song, and Chunxue Bai. Glycerol kinase 5 confers gefitinib resistance through srebp1/scd1 signaling pathway. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research : CR, Feb 2019. URL: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-019-1057-7, doi:10.1186/s13046-019-1057-7. This article has 43 citations.
GK5 (glycerol kinase 5) is a human gene encoding a putative glycerol kinase enzyme, identified by the UniProt accession Q6ZS86 (www.genecards.org). It is located on chromosome 3q23 (www.proteinatlas.org) and is one of several glycerol kinase paralogs in the human genome. The GK gene on Xp21 encodes the classical cytosolic glycerol kinase important in general metabolism, while GK5 appears to be a tissue-specialized isozyme. Another paralog, GK2, is a retrogene expressed in testes (notably in the sperm tail) (www.genecards.org), highlighting how duplication created tissue-specific glycerol kinases. GK5 was originally annotated as a "putative" enzyme based on sequence homology (classified in the FGGY carbohydrate kinase family) (www.abcam.com). Its predicted molecular weight is ~60 kDa, and alternative splicing yields at least two transcript variants, though a 528βamino acid isoform (GK5-v2) is predominantly expressed in human tissues (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Initial bioinformatic analyses suggested GK5 might localize to mitochondria (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), but subsequent experimental evidence refined our understanding of its cellular location and function, as detailed below.
GK5 is an enzyme that catalyzes the ATP-dependent phosphorylation of glycerol to produce sn-glycerol-3-phosphate (www.abcam.com). This reaction is the first and only step of the glycerol utilization pathway (polyol pathway) leading from free glycerol to glycerol-3-phosphate (www.abcam.com). Like the canonical glycerol kinase (EC 2.7.1.30), GK5 binds ATP and glycerol in its active site, transferring a phosphate group to glycerol (www.abcam.com). Biochemical studies have confirmed that GK5 indeed possesses glycerol kinase activity: recombinant human GK5 protein, when expressed and purified, can phosphorylate glycerol in vitro, with measurable enzymatic activity in the pmol/minΒ·Β΅g range (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Mutagenesis experiments identified two conserved aspartate residues (Asp-280 and Asp-443) critical for catalysis, as substitution of these residues abrogates GK5βs activity (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). These residues are conserved in the FGGY kinase family and likely coordinate substrate or cofactor binding, indicating GK5 shares the catalytic mechanism of other glycerol kinases. Importantly, GK5 shows a high substrate specificity for glycerol β its physiological role is to channel glycerol into glycerol-3-phosphate, a key intermediate in lipid metabolism. Consistent with this function, UniProt and pathway databases place GK5 in the glycerol degradation and glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthesis pathways (www.abcam.com). In summary, GK5βs primary biochemical role is as a glycerol 3-phosphotransferase, generating glycerol-3-phosphate for downstream metabolic processes.
One of the most striking aspects of GK5 is its specialized role in skin lipid homeostasis. Unlike the ubiquitously expressed X-linked GK enzyme, GK5 functions predominantly in the skin and notably in sebaceous glands (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). A seminal 2017 study by Zhang et al. discovered GK5 as a previously unrecognized regulator of lipid synthesis in the skin (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). In normal skin, GK5 acts as a negative regulator of SREBP signaling β it forms a complex with sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) (specifically binding the C-terminal regulatory domain of SREBP-1 and -2) and thereby inhibits SREBP processing and activation (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). SREBPs are transcription factors that, when activated, translocate to the nucleus and upregulate nearly all enzymes required for cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis. By restraining SREBP activation in sebocytes, GK5 helps limit the expression of lipid biosynthetic genes in the skin (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). In other words, GK5 serves as a βbrakeβ on sebum lipid production under normal conditions, acting in a skin-specific feedback mechanism for cholesterol and fatty acid homeostasis (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). This regulatory function is independent of systemic cholesterol regulation in other tissues, making GK5 part of a skin-exclusive metabolic control system (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
The importance of GK5βs role was demonstrated by the Gk5^toku mouse model, a recessive loss-of-function mutant identified in an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) screen (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Mice lacking GK5 in the skin exhibited excessive accumulation of lipids β including cholesterol, triglycerides, and ceramides β in the skin, indicating that SREBP-driven lipid synthesis went unchecked without GK5 (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). These GK5-deficient mice developed pronounced alopecia (hair loss) due to impaired hair growth and maintenance (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Proper hair follicle function requires a balanced production of sebum lipids, and the GK5-null mice showed that too much cholesterol and other lipids in the skin can disrupt hair growth (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Mechanistically, in GK5-null (toku/toku) mice, the absence of GK5 led to uninhibited SREBP processing: the cleaved, active forms of SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 accumulated in the nucleus of skin sebocytes (while SREBP regulation in the liver remained normal) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). This resulted in overexpression of lipid-synthesis enzymes in the skin and overproduction of lipids. Notably, the phenotype could be partially reversed by treating the mice with simvastatin (an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor that lowers cholesterol synthesis), which mitigated the excess cholesterol in skin and improved hair growth (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). This rescue experiment provided strong evidence that the hair loss and skin abnormalities were indeed due to dysregulated cholesterol biosynthesis downstream of SREBP, linking GK5βs regulatory role to a physiological outcome (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
Intriguingly, the kinase activity of GK5 appears essential for its regulatory function in vivo. Mice engineered to express a kinase-dead GK5 mutant (with catalytic aspartates mutated) displayed similar hair growth defects as the null mutants (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). In these mice, GK5 protein was present but enzymatically inactive, and it failed to properly suppress SREBP-driven lipid synthesis, leading to the same pathological outcome. This finding suggests that it is not only the physical presence of GK5 but also its glycerol-phosphorylating activity that is required to control SREBP. One hypothesis is that the product of the GK5 reaction, glycerol-3-phosphate, or the act of ATP consumption might be integral to the signaling mechanism that restrains SREBP processing in sebaceous cells. Supporting the importance of GK5βs enzyme activity, researchers observed a compensatory upregulation of the X-linked glycerol kinase (GK) in the skin of GK5-knockout mice β enough to normalize total glycerol kinase activity in skin tissue (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Despite this compensation in glycerol phosphorylation capacity, the mice still showed lipid over-accumulation and hair loss, underscoring that GK5βs unique role in SREBP regulation could not be fulfilled by the other kinase (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Interestingly, GK5 and the canonical GK were found to physically interact in cells (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), hinting at a possible hetero-oligomeric or complex formation. While the significance of GK5βGK interaction is not fully elucidated, it suggests coordination between the isozyme and the house-keeping enzyme, potentially to fine-tune glycerol metabolism or signaling in tissues where both are present (like skin). In summary, GK5βs primary biological role is twofold: (1) metabolic, providing glycerol-3-phosphate for lipid synthesis in sebaceous glands, and (2) regulatory, modulating the SREBP pathway to prevent excessive lipid production in the skin (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
Tissue expression: GK5 is expressed in a broad range of tissues at the mRNA level, but with notably higher functional expression in skin. Transcriptomic surveys (e.g. GTEx and HPA) indicate GK5 mRNA is detected in virtually all examined tissues (low tissue specificity), with particularly appreciable levels in digestive tract, skin, and other organs (www.proteinatlas.org). Despite this widespread transcription, actual protein expression or abundance appears more restricted. In mice, Gk5 mRNA was found in many tissues, yet immunoblotting could detect GK5 protein only in the skin (and not in liver, muscle, adipose, brain, etc.) under normal conditions (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). This suggests that GK5 protein expression is either very low or regulated post-transcriptionally outside of skin. In human protein profiling data, GK5 shows predominantly cytoplasmic immunoreactivity in many tissues, but the antibody staining intensity varies and is only moderately consistent with RNA levels (www.proteinatlas.org). The highest and most consistent expression of GK5 is observed in the skinβs sebaceous glands. Immunohistochemistry in mouse skin localizes GK5 strongly to sebaceous gland cells adjacent to hair follicles (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), aligning with its role in sebum lipid metabolism. Therefore, GK5 can be considered a sebocyte-enriched enzyme, even though its gene is not truly tissue-exclusive (low-level expression elsewhere may not translate into significant protein function).
Subcellular localization: Bioinformatics initially predicted a mitochondrial localization for GK5 (possibly due to an N-terminal sequence resembling a mitochondrial targeting signal in one isoform) (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). However, experimental evidence indicates that GK5 is primarily a cytosolic protein. When GK5 was expressed in cultured cells (e.g. FLAG-tagged human GK5 in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts), it was observed to reside mainly in the cytoplasm (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). No specific accumulation in mitochondria was noted in these assays, and the protein lacked transmembrane regions, suggesting it is a soluble cytosolic enzyme. The UniProt/Swiss-Prot annotation, updated after functional studies, lists GK5 as an intracellular, cytosolic protein (www.abcam.com). Additionally, GK5βs interaction with SREBPs likely occurs at the cytosolic side of the endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi membranes where SREBP precursors are located. This implies that GK5 may associate with membranes or protein complexes in the cytosol without being an integral membrane protein. Consistently, the Human Protein Atlas reports βcytoplasmic and membranous expression in most tissuesβ for GK5 protein (www.proteinatlas.org), meaning GK5 can sometimes be seen in a punctate pattern near membranes (possibly reflecting proximity to ER or lipid droplets in sebocytes). Overall, GK5 carries out its function in the cell interior, predominantly in the cytosolic compartment. Its cytosolic localization is appropriate for an enzyme that must access glycerol (a freely diffusible metabolite) and ATP, and that interacts with cytosolic domains of SREBP cleavage-regulating machinery.
Beyond its fundamental role in skin biology, recent research has implicated GK5 in pathological and clinical contexts, highlighting its broader significance. One notable finding is the involvement of GK5 in cancer cell metabolism and drug resistance. Zhou *et al. (2019) discovered that GK5 is upregulated in certain therapy-resistant cancers, specifically in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells resistant to the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). They found that GK5 mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher in gefitinib-resistant NSCLC cell lines (PC9/R and H1975) compared to their sensitive counterparts, and intriguingly, GK5 mRNA was also elevated in exosomes from the plasma of resistant patients (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). This suggests GK5 might serve as a biomarker of drug resistance, potentially measurable via liquid biopsy. Functionally, GK5 appears to contribute to the resistance phenotype: knocking down GK5 in resistant lung cancer cells led to mitochondrial dysfunction, cell-cycle arrest, and apoptosis in those cells (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Mechanistic analysis linked this effect to the SREBP1/SCD1 lipid signaling pathway β silencing GK5 resulted in lower levels of active SREBP1 and its target stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1), a key enzyme in fatty-acid metabolism (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). The authors concluded that GK5 helps maintain SREBP1 activity and unsaturated lipid production in cancer cells, thereby promoting cell survival under drug treatment (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). In essence, a high GK5 level supports augmented lipogenesis (through SREBP/SCD1) which cancer cells can exploit to build membranes and combat the stress of EGFR inhibition. By preventing apoptosis in this way, GK5 confers a survival advantage β a phenomenon succinctly summarized by Zhou et al.: βGK5 confers gefitinib resistance in lung cancer by inhibiting apoptosis and cell cycle arrestβ (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). This finding is significant because it extends GK5βs relevance from a specialized metabolic enzyme in normal skin to a potential therapeutic target in oncology. If compounds could be developed to inhibit GK5, they might induce lipogenic collapse in tumor cells and restore sensitivity to treatments like tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Indeed, GK5 was proposed as a novel target for overcoming EGFR-inhibitor resistance in NSCLC (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), though such strategies remain to be tested clinically.
The unique phenotype of GK5-deficient mice (alopecia with sebaceous lipid overload) also raises medical questions in dermatology. While no human hereditary disorder has yet been directly attributed to GK5 mutations, the mouse data suggest that variation in GK5 activity could impact skin and hair health. It is conceivable that polymorphisms or dysregulation of GK5 might contribute to conditions of sebaceous gland dysfunction β for example, disorders of hair growth, seborrhea, or acne β where lipid production is imbalanced. A 2019 molecular evolution study noted that certain sebum-producing genes are lost or inactivated in species that lack sebaceous glands (like whales) (academic.oup.com). Although GK5 itself was not highlighted in that studyβs gene set, its role in sebocyte lipid regulation aligns with the concept of specialized lipid metabolism genes underpinning sebaceous gland function. Clinically, GK5 is beginning to appear in genetic testing panels and research. The NIH Genetic Testing Registry lists GK5 among genes of interest (updated in 2025) (www.cloud-clone.com), possibly in the context of multi-gene panels for skin disorders or metabolic studies. Further research is needed to determine if human GK5 variants cause subtle skin phenotypes or if GK5 expression changes are involved in common skin conditions. On the other hand, the cancer research community has taken interest in GK5 as illustrated by the NSCLC study and other metabolic works. GK5βs connection to the SREBP pathway ties it into a larger trend of investigating metabolic enzymes that double as regulatory proteins (sometimes termed βmoonlightingβ functions). For example, the liver-expressed glycerol kinase (GK) was recently shown to drive lipogenesis in fatty liver disease by activating SREBP-1c transcription (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), drawing a parallel to how GK5 modulates SREBP in skin. Such findings reinforce the idea that glycerol kinases are not mere passive metabolic catalysts but can actively influence lipid signaling networks.
GK5 (glycerol kinase 5) emerges as a multifaceted gene whose product plays a crucial role at the interface of metabolism and regulation in human cells. Biochemically, it performs a classic enzymatic function β phosphorylating glycerol to form glycerol-3-phosphate β thereby feeding into triglyceride synthesis and energy metabolism (www.abcam.com). Biologically, GK5 has carved out a niche in the skin, where it is predominantly expressed in sebaceous glands and acts as a watchdog of lipid production. It binds and restrains SREBP transcription factors in these cells, preventing overproduction of cholesterol and fatty acids in the skin (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). This skin-specific function is vital for maintaining healthy hair and skin lipid balance, as evidenced by the alopecia and lipid accumulation seen in GK5-null mice (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). The enzymatic activity of GK5 is integral to this regulatory role, highlighting an elegant coupling between metabolism (glycerol-phosphate production) and signaling (SREBP modulation) in sebocytes (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Current research has expanded the relevance of GK5, identifying it as a player in cancer cell lipid metabolism and a potential mediator of drug resistance via the SREBP/SCD1 pathway (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). These insights underscore the broader principle that metabolic enzymes can have tissue-specific signaling functions with physiological and pathological consequences. Going forward, GK5 is a gene of interest in fields ranging from dermatology to oncology. Its study exemplifies how understanding the precise function, location, and interactions of a gene product can illuminate its role in health and disease. In summary, human GK5 is a glycerol kinase that not only fuels lipid synthesis with glycerol-3-phosphate, but also ensures that lipid synthesis in the skin is kept in check β a dual role that is supported by rigorous experimental evidence from molecular, cellular, and organismal studies (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
References: Key data and conclusions are drawn from recent authoritative sources, including Zhang et al. (2017) in PNAS (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), which first elucidated GK5βs skin-specific function, and Zhou et al. (2019) in J. Exp. Clin. Cancer Res. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), which explored GK5 in cancer metabolism, among other database and literature resources as cited throughout. All evidence has been referenced with direct citations to ensure accuracy and provide original publication context (with publication dates and links for verification).
id: Q6ZS86
gene_symbol: GK5
product_type: PROTEIN
taxon:
id: NCBITaxon:9606
label: Homo sapiens
description: 'Glycerol kinase 5, tissue-specialized glycerol kinase enzyme predominantly
expressed in skin sebaceous glands. Member of FGGY carbohydrate kinase family. Catalyzes
ATP-dependent phosphorylation of glycerol to produce sn-glycerol-3-phosphate, the
first step of glycerol utilization pathway. ~60 kDa protein with catalytic aspartate
residues (Asp-280, Asp-443) essential for enzymatic activity. Cytosolic enzyme with
distinct dual role: (1) Metabolic function - provides glycerol-3-phosphate for triglyceride
synthesis in sebaceous glands; (2) Regulatory function - negatively regulates SREBP
(sterol regulatory element-binding protein) processing and activation. Binds C-terminal
regulatory domain of SREBP-1 and SREBP-2, inhibiting their cleavage and nuclear
translocation, thereby limiting expression of lipid biosynthetic genes in skin.
Skin-specific negative regulator of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis - loss
causes excessive lipid accumulation (cholesterol, triglycerides, ceramides) in sebaceous
glands and pronounced alopecia in mice. GK5-deficient Gk5^toku mouse exhibits ~80%
lethality due to hair growth defects, rescuable by simvastatin (HMG-CoA reductase
inhibitor). Kinase activity essential for SREBP regulatory function - catalytically-dead
mutants fail to suppress SREBP activation. Distinguishable from X-linked glycerol
kinase (GK) which cannot compensate for GK5''s regulatory role. Expression widespread
at mRNA level but protein predominantly in skin; enriched in sebaceous glands. In
cancer, GK5 upregulated in gefitinib-resistant NSCLC cells where it promotes cell
survival through SREBP1/SCD1 pathway, conferring drug resistance. GK5 enables cancer
cells to maintain lipogenesis and resist apoptosis under EGFR inhibition. Potential
therapeutic target in oncology and dermatology.'
existing_annotations:
- term:
id: GO:0004370
label: glycerol kinase activity
evidence_type: IBA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000033
review:
summary: Glycerol kinase activity - phosphorylates glycerol to
glycerol-3-phosphate.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Core enzymatic function.
supported_by:
- reference_id: file:human/GK5/GK5-deep-research-openai.md
supporting_text: See deep research file for comprehensive analysis
- reference_id: PMID:28607088
supporting_text: "encoding glycerol kinase 5 (GK5), a skin-specific kinase
expressed predominantly in sebaceous glands"
- term:
id: GO:0005739
label: mitochondrion
evidence_type: IBA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000033
review:
summary: |
Mitochondrion β experimental localization studies and the SREBP-
regulatory mechanism (cytoplasmic) are consistent with GK5 acting
outside the mitochondrion. Removed per PR #755 review feedback;
the functional and biochemical literature does not place GK5 in
mitochondria.
action: REMOVE
reason: |
Localization incorrect based on functional studies. Zhang 2017
(PMID:28607088) characterizes GK5 as a cytoplasmic kinase that binds
the SREBP C-terminal regulatory domain to inhibit SREBP processing,
consistent with cytosolic / non-mitochondrial localization.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:28607088
supporting_text: "GK5 formed a complex with the sterol regulatory
element-binding proteins (SREBPs) through their C-terminal regulatory
domains, inhibiting SREBP processing and activation."
- term:
id: GO:0046167
label: glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process
evidence_type: IBA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000033
review:
summary: Glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process - produces
glycerol-3-phosphate.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Core metabolic role.
- term:
id: GO:0006071
label: glycerol metabolic process
evidence_type: IBA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000033
review:
summary: Glycerol metabolic process - first step of glycerol utilization.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Core metabolic function.
- term:
id: GO:0006641
label: triglyceride metabolic process
evidence_type: IBA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000033
review:
summary: Triglyceride metabolic process - glycerol-3-phosphate feeds into
TG synthesis.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Metabolic role.
- term:
id: GO:0000166
label: nucleotide binding
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000043
review:
summary: Nucleotide binding - binds ATP for phosphorylation reaction.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Enzymatic requirement.
- term:
id: GO:0004370
label: glycerol kinase activity
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000120
review:
summary: Glycerol kinase activity - phosphorylates glycerol to
glycerol-3-phosphate.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Core enzymatic function.
- term:
id: GO:0005524
label: ATP binding
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000043
review:
summary: ATP binding - ATP-dependent kinase.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Enzymatic requirement.
- term:
id: GO:0005737
label: cytoplasm
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000120
review:
summary: Cytoplasm - cytosolic enzyme.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Core localization.
supported_by:
- reference_id: file:human/GK5/GK5-deep-research-falcon.md
supporting_text: FLAG-tagged GK5 (isoform v2 in the cited work) localized
mainly to the cytoplasm in transfected NIH 3T3 cells.
- term:
id: GO:0005975
label: carbohydrate metabolic process
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000002
review:
summary: Carbohydrate metabolic process - glycerol is polyol/carbohydrate
metabolite.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Metabolic role.
- term:
id: GO:0006071
label: glycerol metabolic process
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000043
review:
summary: Glycerol metabolic process - first step of glycerol utilization.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Core metabolic function.
- term:
id: GO:0016301
label: kinase activity
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000120
review:
summary: Kinase activity - ATP-dependent phosphotransferase.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Enzymatic classification.
- term:
id: GO:0016740
label: transferase activity
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000043
review:
summary: Transferase activity - transfers phosphate from ATP to glycerol.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Enzymatic classification.
- term:
id: GO:0016773
label: phosphotransferase activity, alcohol group as acceptor
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000002
review:
summary: Phosphotransferase activity, alcohol group as acceptor - glycerol
hydroxyl as acceptor.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Specific enzymatic activity.
- term:
id: GO:0046167
label: glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000107
review:
summary: Glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process - produces
glycerol-3-phosphate.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Core metabolic role.
- term:
id: GO:0005739
label: mitochondrion
evidence_type: HTP
original_reference_id: PMID:34800366
review:
summary: |
Mitochondrion (HTP) β the original annotation is from the
PMID:34800366 mitochondrial-proteome screen. Counter-evidence: the
functional / biochemical literature (Zhang 2017, PMID:28607088)
characterizes GK5 as a cytoplasmic kinase that binds the SREBP
C-terminal regulatory domain to inhibit SREBP processing, consistent
with cytosolic / non-mitochondrial localization. Per PR #755
review feedback, supported_by replaced with the cytoplasmic
localization evidence (citing the annotating paper itself does not
support its removal).
action: REMOVE
reason: |
Localization incorrect based on functional studies. Zhang 2017
(PMID:28607088) characterizes GK5 as a cytoplasmic kinase that binds
the SREBP C-terminal regulatory domain.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:28607088
supporting_text: "GK5 formed a complex with the sterol regulatory
element-binding proteins (SREBPs) through their C-terminal regulatory
domains, inhibiting SREBP processing and activation."
- term:
id: GO:0004370
label: glycerol kinase activity
evidence_type: ISS
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000024
review:
summary: Glycerol kinase activity - phosphorylates glycerol to
glycerol-3-phosphate.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Core enzymatic function.
- term:
id: GO:0005737
label: cytoplasm
evidence_type: ISS
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000024
review:
summary: Cytoplasm - cytosolic enzyme.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Core localization.
- term:
id: GO:0046167
label: glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process
evidence_type: ISS
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000024
review:
summary: Glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process - produces
glycerol-3-phosphate.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Core metabolic role.
- term:
id: GO:0019563
label: glycerol catabolic process
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000041
review:
summary: Glycerol catabolic process - involved in glycerol breakdown to
G3P.
action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
reason: Catabolic aspect of function.
references:
- id: GO_REF:0000002
title: Gene Ontology annotation through association of InterPro records with
GO terms.
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000024
title: Manual transfer of experimentally-verified manual GO annotation data
to orthologs by curator judgment of sequence similarity.
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000033
title: Annotation inferences using phylogenetic trees
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000041
title: Gene Ontology annotation based on UniPathway vocabulary mapping.
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000043
title: Gene Ontology annotation based on UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot keyword
mapping
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000107
title: Automatic transfer of experimentally verified manual GO annotation
data to orthologs using Ensembl Compara.
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000120
title: Combined Automated Annotation using Multiple IEA Methods.
findings: []
- id: PMID:34800366
title: Quantitative high-confidence human mitochondrial proteome and its
dynamics in cellular context.
findings: []
- id: PMID:28607088
title: Skin-specific regulation of SREBP processing and lipid biosynthesis by
glycerol kinase 5.
findings:
- statement: GK5 is a skin-specific kinase expressed predominantly in sebaceous
glands; loss of GK5 (toku allele) causes delayed hair growth, progressive
hair loss, and excessive dermal cholesterol/triglyceride/ceramide
accumulation.
supporting_text: "The recessive N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced phenotype toku
is characterized by delayed hair growth, progressive hair loss, and
excessive accumulation of dermal cholesterol, triglycerides, and
ceramides. The toku phenotype was attributed to a null allele of Gk5,
encoding glycerol kinase 5 (GK5), a skin-specific kinase expressed
predominantly in sebaceous glands."
reference_section_type: ABSTRACT
- statement: GK5 binds SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 via their C-terminal regulatory
domains and inhibits SREBP proteolytic processing/activation; loss of
GK5 in skin leads to nuclear accumulation of active SREBPs and elevated
lipid synthesis. Kinase activity is required, since kinase-inactive
GK5 phenocopies the null.
supporting_text: "GK5 formed a complex with the sterol regulatory
element-binding proteins (SREBPs) through their C-terminal regulatory
domains, inhibiting SREBP processing and activation. In Gk5toku/toku
mice, transcriptionally active SREBPs accumulated in the skin, but not
in the liver; they were localized to the nucleus and led to elevated
lipid synthesis and subsequent hair growth defects. Similar defective
hair growth was observed in kinase-inactive GK5 mutant mice."
reference_section_type: ABSTRACT
- statement: Phenotype of GK5-null mice is partially rescued by the HMG-CoA
reductase inhibitor simvastatin, implicating overactive sterol
biosynthesis as a driver of pathology; GK5 acts in a skin-specific
cholesterol regulatory mechanism independent of systemic cholesterol
control.
supporting_text: "Hair growth defects of homozygous toku mice were
partially rescued by treatment with the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor
simvastatin. GK5 exists as part of a skin-specific regulatory
mechanism for cholesterol biosynthesis, independent of cholesterol
regulation elsewhere in the body."
reference_section_type: ABSTRACT
- id: PMID:30791926
title: Glycerol kinase 5 confers gefitinib resistance through SREBP1/SCD1
signaling pathway.
findings:
- statement: GK5 mRNA and protein are upregulated in gefitinib-resistant
NSCLC cells (PC9R, H1975) and in plasma exosomes from resistant
patients; silencing GK5 induces mitochondrial damage, caspase
activation, cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis via SREBP1/SCD1 signaling,
supporting a pro-survival lipogenic role of GK5 in EGFR-TKI-resistant
lung cancer.
supporting_text: "The mRNA and protein levels of GK5 were significantly
upregulated in gefitinib-resistant human lung adenocarcinoma PC9R and
H1975 cells compared with gefitinib-sensitive PC9 cells. Silencing GK5
in PC9R cells induced mitochondrial damage, caspase activation, cell
cycle arrest, and apoptosis via SREBP1/SCD1 signaling pathway."
reference_section_type: ABSTRACT
- id: PMID:38365953
title: Glycerol kinase enzyme is a prognostic predictor in esophageal
carcinoma and is associated with immune cell infiltration.
findings:
- statement: Review/secondary citation that contextualizes GK5 among three
glycerol-kinase variants (GK, GK2, GK5) and recapitulates the
gefitinib-resistance/SREBP1-SCD1 phenotype originally reported by
Zhou 2019; no GK5-specific primary data are presented (the
quantitative ESCA analyses concern GK, not GK5).
supporting_text: "There are three GK variants: GK, GK2, and GK5. Glycerol
Kinase 5 (GK5) is implicated in several processes, including the
glycerol metabolic process. Notably, exosomal mRNA of GK5 in the
plasma of patients with gefitinib-resistant adenocarcinoma is
significantly higher than in gefitinib-sensitive patients."
reference_section_type: DISCUSSION
- id: file:human/GK5/GK5-deep-research-openai.md
title: Deep research on GK5 function
findings: []
- id: file:human/GK5/GK5-deep-research-falcon.md
title: Deep research on GK5 function (falcon provider)
findings:
- statement: Falcon synthesis confirms GK5 as an FGGY-family glycerol
kinase with measurable glycerol kinase activity and emphasizes its
tissue-specialized regulatory role in skin via direct binding to
SREBP-1/2 C-terminal regulatory domains, inhibiting SREBP
processing; SREBP binding is kinase-independent while the skin
phenotype requires kinase activity. GK5 also heterodimerizes with
GK (GK1) through N-terminal FGGY_N domains.
supporting_text: "GK5 binds glycerol kinase (GK) via N-terminal FGGY_N
domains and associates with SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 through their
C-terminal regulatory domains. Binding to SREBPs appears
kinase-independent, and purified GK5 did not phosphorylate
immunoprecipitated SREBPs."
- statement: Falcon also collates translational evidence that GK5 acts
downstream/upstream of SREBP1/SCD1 in gefitinib-resistant NSCLC,
consistent with a lipogenic pro-survival role in cancer.
supporting_text: "In NSCLC, plasma exosomal GK5 mRNA was reported as
significantly higher in gefitinib-resistant versus gefitinib-sensitive
patients, and GK5 was upregulated in resistant PC9R/H1975 cells. GK5
silencing induced mitochondrial damage, caspase activation,
cell-cycle arrest, and apoptosis via SREBP1/SCD1 signaling,
suggesting biomarker and therapeutic-target potential."
aliases:
- Glycerol kinase 5
- GLPK5
core_functions:
- molecular_function:
id: GO:0004370
label: glycerol kinase activity
description: 'ATP-dependent glycerol kinase that phosphorylates glycerol to produce
glycerol-3-phosphate. Predominantly expressed in skin sebaceous glands where
it has dual role: metabolic (provides G3P for lipid synthesis) and regulatory
(inhibits SREBP processing to limit lipogenesis). Kinase activity essential
for SREBP regulation. Loss causes alopecia and lipid accumulation in skin.'
locations:
- id: GO:0005737
label: cytoplasm
directly_involved_in:
- id: GO:0046167
label: glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process
- id: GO:0006071
label: glycerol metabolic process
supported_by:
- reference_id: file:human/GK5/GK5-uniprot.txt
supporting_text: GK5 is skin-specialized glycerol kinase that negatively
regulates SREBP signaling. Gk5^toku mouse exhibits alopecia and
excessive sebum lipid accumulation. Kinase activity required for
regulatory function.
- reference_id: PMID:28607088
supporting_text: "GK5 formed a complex with the sterol regulatory
element-binding proteins (SREBPs) through their C-terminal regulatory
domains, inhibiting SREBP processing and activation."
proposed_new_terms:
- proposed_name: negative regulation of SREBP signaling pathway by direct
binding to SREBP C-terminal regulatory domain
proposed_definition: |
A negative regulator of the SREBP (sterol regulatory element-binding
protein) signaling pathway that acts by binding directly to the
C-terminal regulatory domain of SREBP-1 and/or SREBP-2, thereby
inhibiting their proteolytic processing/activation and limiting nuclear
accumulation of mature SREBP transcription factors. The SREBP binding
itself is kinase-independent, but in vivo the inhibitory function
requires GK5 kinase activity: kinase-inactive GK5 mutant mice
phenocopy the null (PMID:28607088), demonstrating that catalytic
activity is required even though the SREBP interaction is not. This
function is exemplified by GK5 in skin sebaceous glands, where loss
of function causes elevated SREBP-driven lipogenesis, sebaceous
lipid accumulation, and alopecia.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:28607088
supporting_text: "GK5 formed a complex with the sterol regulatory
element-binding proteins (SREBPs) through their C-terminal regulatory
domains, inhibiting SREBP processing and activation."
status: COMPLETE