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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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PYGB
glycogen phosphorylase B
Chromosome 20 · 20p11.21
NCBI Gene: 5834Ensembl: ENSG00000100994.13HGNC: HGNC:9723UniProt: P11216
109PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
membraneextracellular exosomeprotein bindingcytoplasmneurodegenerative diseaseprostate carcinomaShort statureobesity
✦AI Summary

PYGB (glycogen phosphorylase B) is the brain-type isoform of glycogen phosphorylase, serving as the rate-limiting enzyme in glycogenolysis that regulates glycogen mobilization and mobilizes stored glycogen as an energy source 1. As an important allosteric enzyme in carbohydrate metabolism 2, PYGB catalyzes glycogen breakdown to release glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) for glycolysis 3. Mechanistically, PYGB activity is regulated by multiple pathways including hypoxia-stimulated activation through phosphoglycerate kinase 1-dependent mechanisms 3 and transcriptional upregulation by androgen receptor binding to the PYGB promoter 4. PYGB expression is elevated across multiple tumor types, with particularly high expression in cholangiocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and lung cancer 3546. In cancer contexts, elevated PYGB promotes metabolic reprogramming toward glycolysis and supports tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis 354. In non-malignant settings, PYGB inhibition ameliorates high glucose-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis via Akt-HIF-1α pathway activation, suggesting therapeutic potential in type 2 diabetes mellitus 7. PYGB emerges as a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target across diverse diseases 8.

Sources cited
1
PYGB regulates glycogen mobilization
PMID: 27402852
2
Glycogen phosphorylase is an important allosteric enzyme in carbohydrate metabolism
PMID: 3346228
3
Hypoxia stimulates PYGB activity through phosphoglycerate kinase 1-dependent mechanisms, promoting glycogenolysis and G6P release for aerobic glycolysis in cholangiocarcinoma
PMID: 39163511
4
PYGB is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer and promotes cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis through MAPK/ERK pathway involvement
PMID: 38483604
5
Androgen receptor directly binds to PYGB promoter and upregulates PYGB transcription, facilitating esophageal squamous carcinoma progression and metabolic reprogramming
PMID: 39442902
6
Elevated PYGB expression in lung cancer correlates with poor prognosis and promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion
PMID: 40458414
7
PYGB serves as the rate-limiting enzyme of glycogen catabolism and is associated with diverse human diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic diseases
PMID: 38334681
8
PYGB inhibition ameliorates high glucose-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis via Akt-HIF-1α pathway activation in type 2 diabetes mellitus
PMID: 31905009
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.42Moderate
prostate carcinomaOpen Targets
0.30Weak
Short statureOpen Targets
0.26Weak
obesityOpen Targets
0.13Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
pachyonychia congenitaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
prostate cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
SepsisOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
laryngotracheoesophageal cleftOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
osteosarcomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
esophageal squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
atrioventricular blockOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
non-small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
ovarian cancerOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
acute myocardial infarctionOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
depressive disorderOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
UGP2Protein interaction99%PFKLProtein interaction98%MGAMProtein interaction97%AMY1BProtein interaction96%AMY2AProtein interaction96%AMY2BProtein interaction96%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Heart
100%
Brain
36%
Lung
16%
Ovary
14%
Bone Marrow
12%
Liver
7%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
PYGBUGP2PFKLMGAMAMY1BAMY2AAMY2B
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB5IKO · 2.50 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.02LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.85 [0.71–1.02]
RankingsWhere PYGB stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #4,377of 20,598
    Most Researched109 · top quartile
  • #10,022of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.02
Genes detectedPYGB
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Hypoxia Stimulates PYGB Enzymatic Activity to Promote Glycogen Metabolism and Cholangiocarcinoma Progression.
PMID: 39163511
Cancer Res · 2024
1.00
2
Unveiling the role of PYGB in pancreatic cancer: a novel diagnostic biomarker and gene therapy target.
PMID: 38483604
J Cancer Res Clin Oncol · 2024
0.90
3
Brain-Type Glycogen Phosphorylase (PYGB) in the Pathologies of Diseases: A Systematic Review.
PMID: 38334681
Cells · 2024
0.80
4
PYGB targeted by androgen receptor contributes to tumor progression and metabolic reprogramming in esophageal squamous carcinoma.
PMID: 39442902
Cell Signal · 2024
0.70
5
Aberrant expression of PYGB as a potential therapeutic target and its associations with immune cell infiltration in lung cancer.
PMID: 40458414
Front Immunol · 2025
0.60