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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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UGT8
UDP glycosyltransferase 8
Chromosome 4 · 4q26
NCBI Gene: 7368Ensembl: ENSG00000174607.13HGNC: HGNC:12555UniProt: Q16880
58PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
glycosphingolipid biosynthetic processgalactosylceramide biosynthetic processlumenal side of endoplasmic reticulum membraneendoplasmic reticulumnephrolithiasisComplete right bundle branch blockbladder calculusbundle branch block
✦AI Summary

UGT8 (UDP-glycosyltransferase 8) is a ceramide galactosyltransferase that catalyzes the transfer of galactose from UDP-galactose to ceramide, a critical step in galactosylceramide biosynthesis 1. This enzymatic activity produces sphingolipids essential for myelin membrane composition in the central and peripheral nervous systems 1. Beyond its classical neurological role, UGT8 regulates sulfatide metabolism, which has emerged as metabolically important in various disease contexts. In cancer biology, UGT8 expression is elevated in multiple malignancies. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), SOX9-mediated UGT8 upregulation promotes glycolysis and maintains malignancy 2. Similarly, in basal-like breast cancer, UGT8 activates integrin αVβ5-mediated signaling through sulfatide production, and zoledronic acid inhibits UGT8 to suppress progression 3. UGT8 inhibition also suppresses intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm-derived pancreatic cancer through altered mitochondrial respiration and apoptosis activation 4, and colorectal cancer through sulfatide-dependent BAX mitochondrial localization 5. In aging, UGT8 expression correlates with glycolipid accumulation in kidney tissue, with UGT8 inhibition reducing inflammatory cytokine expression 6. These findings identify UGT8 as a druggable target with therapeutic potential across multiple cancer types.

Sources cited
1
UGT8 catalyzes galactose transfer to ceramide for galactosylceramide biosynthesis in myelin membranes
PMID: 9125199
2
SOX9-mediated UGT8 expression promotes glycolysis and NSCLC malignancy; UGT8 silencing impairs both
PMID: 34872002
3
UGT8 upregulation in basal-like breast cancer activates sulfatide-αVβ5 signaling; zoledronic acid inhibits UGT8
PMID: 29728441
4
UGT8 inhibition reduces sulfatide levels and suppresses IPMN-derived pancreatic cancer tumor growth in vivo
PMID: 40268349
5
UGT8-mediated sulfatide synthesis controls mitochondrial BAX localization and apoptosis sensitivity in colorectal cancer
PMID: 39580596
6
UGT8 expression correlates with age-dependent glycolipid accumulation in kidney; inhibition reduces inflammatory cytokines
PMID: 38609525
7
UGT8 mRNA is regulated by multiple microRNAs through 3'UTR binding sites
PMID: 35275773
Disease Associationsⓘ20
nephrolithiasisOpen Targets
0.47Moderate
Complete right bundle branch blockOpen Targets
0.38Weak
bladder calculusOpen Targets
0.38Weak
bundle branch blockOpen Targets
0.35Weak
liver diseaseOpen Targets
0.34Weak
corneal dystrophyOpen Targets
0.31Weak
osteoporosisOpen Targets
0.31Weak
ureterolithiasisOpen Targets
0.31Weak
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.25Weak
sensory perception of smellOpen Targets
0.24Weak
urolithiasisOpen Targets
0.20Weak
adolescent idiopathic scoliosisOpen Targets
0.20Weak
gastrointestinal diseaseOpen Targets
0.20Weak
peritonitisOpen Targets
0.20Weak
sialolithiasisOpen Targets
0.20Weak
strictureOpen Targets
0.19Weak
polymyalgia rheumaticaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
ovarian neoplasmOpen Targets
0.19Weak
joint diseaseOpen Targets
0.17Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.10Weak
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
ASAH2Protein interaction98%ACER2Protein interaction97%ACER1Protein interaction97%CERS6Protein interaction97%CERS2Protein interaction97%SGMS1Protein interaction97%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Bone Marrow
2%
Liver
1%
Ovary
1%
Lung
1%
Heart
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
UGT8ASAH2ACER2ACER1CERS6CERS2SGMS1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q16880
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.44Moderately Constrained
pLIⓘ
1.00Intolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.27 [0.17–0.44]
RankingsWhere UGT8 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #7,930of 20,598
    Most Researched58
  • #2,411of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.44 · top quartile
Genes detectedUGT8
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
A lipidome landscape of aging in mice.
PMID: 38609525
Nat Aging · 2024
1.00
2
Platelet autophagic machinery involved in thrombosis through a novel linkage of AMPK-MTOR to sphingolipid metabolism.
PMID: 33749503
Autophagy · 2021
0.90
3
Long-chain sulfatide enrichment is an actionable metabolic vulnerability in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN)-associated pancreatic cancers.
PMID: 40268349
Gut · 2025
0.80
4
SOX9-mediated UGT8 expression promotes glycolysis and maintains the malignancy of non-small cell lung cancer.
PMID: 34872002
Biochem Biophys Res Commun · 2022
0.70
5
Expression of Ceramide Galactosyltransferase (UGT8) in Primary and Metastatic Lung Tissues of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.
PMID: 27620310
Adv Exp Med Biol · 2016
0.60