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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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GLCE
glucuronic acid epimerase
Chromosome 15 · 15q23
NCBI Gene: 26035Ensembl: ENSG00000138604.11HGNC: HGNC:17855UniProt: O94923
45PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
calcium ion bindingheparan sulfate proteoglycan biosynthetic processprotein homodimerization activityheparosan-N-sulfate-glucuronate 5-epimerase activityAbnormality of the skeletal systemsmoking initiationinherited hemoglobinopathyinherited retinal dystrophy
✦AI Summary

GLCE (D-glucuronyl C5-epimerase) is a key enzyme in heparan sulfate biosynthesis that converts D-glucuronic acid residues to L-iduronic acid residues in maturing heparan sulfate and heparin chains 1. The enzyme functions as a homodimer and catalyzes critical modifications that determine glycosaminoglycan-protein interactions 1. Beyond its enzymatic role, GLCE exhibits diverse cellular functions including serving as a cell-surface factor that facilitates viral entry, as demonstrated with porcine deltacoronavirus where GLCE promotes viral attachment and internalization by interacting with spike proteins 2. In kidney pathophysiology, GLCE acts as an anti-fibrotic factor independent of its enzymatic activity by binding to EGFR and suppressing EGFR/ERK and TGF-β/Smad signaling pathways 3. The gene shows complex tumor-context-dependent roles: it functions as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer with expression regulated by TCF4/β-catenin pathways and chr15 modifications 4, while in prostate cancer, increased GLCE expression correlates with advanced disease and promotes angiogenesis in a cell-type-specific manner 56. GLCE expression is also enhanced by butyrate treatment in mast cells, increasing heparin synthesis and storage 7. These findings reveal GLCE as a multifunctional protein with both metabolic and signaling roles across various pathological contexts.

Sources cited
1
GLCE (D-glucuronyl C5-epimerase) is a key enzyme in heparan sulfate biosynthesis that converts D-glucuronic acid residues to L-iduronic acid residues in maturing heparan sulfate and heparin chains .
PMID: 40822398
2
Beyond its enzymatic role, GLCE exhibits diverse cellular functions including serving as a cell-surface factor that facilitates viral entry, as demonstrated with porcine deltacoronavirus where GLCE promotes viral attachment and internalization by interacting with spike proteins .
PMID: 39078176
3
In kidney pathophysiology, GLCE acts as an anti-fibrotic factor independent of its enzymatic activity by binding to EGFR and suppressing EGFR/ERK and TGF-β/Smad signaling pathways .
PMID: 40788059
4
The gene shows complex tumor-context-dependent roles: it functions as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer with expression regulated by TCF4/β-catenin pathways and chr15 modifications , while in prostate cancer, increased GLCE expression correlates with advanced disease and promotes angiogenesis in a cell-type-specific manner .
PMID: 22805760
5
The gene shows complex tumor-context-dependent roles: it functions as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer with expression regulated by TCF4/β-catenin pathways and chr15 modifications , while in prostate cancer, increased GLCE expression correlates with advanced disease and promotes angiogenesis in a cell-type-specific manner .
PMID: 24403231
6
The gene shows complex tumor-context-dependent roles: it functions as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer with expression regulated by TCF4/β-catenin pathways and chr15 modifications , while in prostate cancer, increased GLCE expression correlates with advanced disease and promotes angiogenesis in a cell-type-specific manner .
PMID: 24264315
7
GLCE expression is also enhanced by butyrate treatment in mast cells, increasing heparin synthesis and storage .
PMID: 39120272
Disease Associationsⓘ20
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.28Weak
smoking initiationOpen Targets
0.24Weak
inherited hemoglobinopathyOpen Targets
0.23Weak
inherited retinal dystrophyOpen Targets
0.23Weak
septic shockOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
chronic lymphocytic leukemiaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
prostate cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
androgenetic alopeciaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Jeune syndromeOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
lymphoid leukemiaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Short rib-polydactyly syndrome, Verma-Naumoff typeOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
rheumatoid arthritisOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
systemic lupus erythematosusOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Eiken syndromeOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Syndactyly type 2Open Targets
0.03Suggestive
metatropic dysplasiaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
orofaciodigital syndrome 18Open Targets
0.03Suggestive
congenital absence of upper arm and forearm with hand presentOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
EXT1Protein interaction76%HS6ST1Protein interaction74%HS2ST1Protein interaction74%HS3ST1Protein interaction74%NDST1Protein interaction73%NDST2Protein interaction73%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Liver
100%
Heart
64%
Ovary
50%
Brain
48%
Lung
43%
Bone Marrow
25%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
GLCEEXT1HS6ST1HS2ST1HS3ST1NDST1NDST2
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB6I01 · 2.10 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.52Moderately Constrained
pLIⓘ
0.97Intolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.33 [0.22–0.52]
RankingsWhere GLCE stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #9,454of 20,598
    Most Researched45
  • #3,161of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.52 · top quartile
Genes detectedGLCE
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Cell-surface d-glucuronyl C5-epimerase binds to porcine deltacoronavirus spike protein facilitating viral entry.
PMID: 39078176
J Virol · 2024
1.00
2
D-glucuronyl C5-Epimerase Binds to EGFR to Suppress Kidney Fibrosis.
PMID: 40788059
Adv Sci (Weinh) · 2025
0.90
3
The TCF4/β-catenin pathway and chromatin structure cooperate to regulate D-glucuronyl C5-epimerase expression in breast cancer.
PMID: 22805760
Epigenetics · 2012
0.80
4
Heterogeneity of d-glucuronyl C5-epimerase expression and epigenetic regulation in prostate cancer.
PMID: 24403231
Cancer Med · 2013
0.70
5
A high effective expression of human D-glucuronyl C5-epimerase with dimer structure in
PMID: 40822398
Front Microbiol · 2025
0.60