GLS

Chr 2ADAR

glutaminase

Also known as: AAD20, CASGID, DEE71, EIEE71, GAC, GAM, GDPAG, GLS1

The encoded mitochondrial glutaminase catalyzes the hydrolysis of glutamine to glutamate and ammonia, serving essential roles in energy metabolism, glutamate neurotransmitter synthesis in the brain, and acid-base balance in the kidney. Loss-of-function mutations cause CASGID syndrome, developmental and epileptic encephalopathy 71, and global developmental delay with progressive ataxia and elevated glutamine through both autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive inheritance patterns. The high pLI score (0.96) indicates this gene is highly intolerant to loss-of-function variants, consistent with its essential metabolic functions.

GeneReviewsOMIMResearchSummary from RefSeq, OMIM, UniProt, Mechanism
MultiplemechanismAD/ARLOEUF 0.323 OMIM phenotypes
Clinical SummaryGLS
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Gene-Disease Validity (ClinGen)
glutaminase deficiency · ARDefinitive

Definitive — sufficient evidence for diagnostic panels

2 total gene-disease associations curated

Population Constraint (gnomAD)
Highly constrained gene — heterozygous loss-of-function variants are very rare in the population (pLI 0.96). One damaged copy is likely sufficient to cause disease.
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ClinVar Variants
41 unique Pathogenic / Likely Pathogenic· 41 VUS of 108 total submissions
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Clinical Trials
12 active or recruiting trials — potential therapeutic options may be available
📖
GeneReview available — GLS
Authoritative clinical overview · Recommended first read
Open GeneReview ↗

Population Genetics & Constraint

gnomAD v4 — loss-of-function & missense intolerance

Dual constrained — LoF & missense intolerant
LoF Constraint
0.32LOEUF
pLI 0.962
Z-score 4.69
OE 0.16 (0.090.32)
Highly constrained

Highly LoF-intolerant (top ~10% of genes)

Missense Constraint
3.73Z-score
OE missense 0.41 (0.360.48)
133 obs / 321.1 exp
Constrained

Highly missense-constrained (top ~0.1%)

Observed / Expected Ratios
LoF OE0.16 (0.090.32)
00.351.4
Missense OE0.41 (0.360.48)
00.61.4
Synonymous OE0.89
01.21.6
LoF obs/exp: 6 / 36.6Missense obs/exp: 133 / 321.1Syn Z: 0.92
DN
0.3892th %ile
GOF
0.5169th %ile
LOF
0.67top 25%

This gene has evidence for multiple mechanisms of pathogenicity (loss-of-function and gain-of-function). Both the Badonyi & Marsh prediction and the broader genomic evidence point to loss-of-function as the predominant mechanism. Different variants in this gene may act through different mechanisms — interpret in context of the specific variant.

LOFprediction above median · LOEUF 0.32
GOF1 literature citation

Literature Evidence

GOFWe extend these findings to AML subtypes driven by other tyrosine kinase (TK) activating mutations and validate the role of GLS as a clinically actionable therapeutic target in both primary AML and in vivo models.PMID:29463564

Predictions from Badonyi M, Marsh JA. PLoS ONE. 2024;19(8):e0307312. Mechanism ranking also informed by gnomAD constraint, ClinVar, and ClinGen data.

ClinVar Variant Classifications

108 submitted variants in ClinVar

Classification Summary

Pathogenic35
Likely Pathogenic6
VUS41
Likely Benign20
Benign5
Conflicting1
35
Pathogenic
6
Likely Pathogenic
41
VUS
20
Likely Benign
5
Benign
1
Conflicting

Curated Variants Distribution

Classified variants from ClinVar · 5 ACMG categories

ClassificationLoFMissense + InframeNon-codingSynonymousTotal
Pathogenic
4
3
28
0
35
Likely Pathogenic
2
3
1
0
6
VUS
0
37
4
0
41
Likely Benign
0
3
12
5
20
Benign
0
2
2
1
5
Conflicting
1
Total648476108

LoF = frameshift, stop gained/lost, canonical splice · Counts from ClinVar esearch · Updated hourly

View in ClinVar →

Protein Context — Lollipop Plot

GLS · protein map & ClinVar variants

Showing all ClinVar variants across the protein. Search a specific variant to highlight its position.

3D Protein StructureAlphaFold

Clinical Trials

Active and recruiting trials from ClinicalTrials.gov

Breast Cancer

Treating Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Trastuzumab Treatment With Carvedilol to Reduce Incidence of Heart Failure

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING
NCT03879629Phase PHASE2Mayo ClinicStarted 2019-08-21
Carvedilol
Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF)Chronic Heart Failure

Vericiguat and Reverse Remodeling Indices in Heart Failure

RECRUITING
NCT07405944Phase PHASE4University Medical Centre LjubljanaStarted 2025-11-01
VericiguatGuideline Directed Medical Therapy for Heart Failure (GDMT)
Pre-diabetes

Broccoli Effect on Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c)

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING
NCT05367024Phase NAQuadram Institute BioscienceStarted 2021-09-27
Broccoli soupCourgette soup
Stage II Breast CancerStage IIIA Breast Cancer

Comparison of Axillary Lymph Node Dissection with Axillary Radiation for Patients with Node-Positive Breast Cancer Treated with Chemotherapy

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING
NCT01901094Phase PHASE3Alliance for Clinical Trials in OncologyStarted 2014-02-24
Axillary Lymph Node Dissection (ALND)Nodal Radiation TherapyAxillary Radiation Therapy
PARKINSON DISEASE (Disorder)Multiple Sclerosis (MS) - Relapsing-remittingPediatric Patients Affected by Neuromuscolar and Degenerative Diseases

Myrosinase Bioactivated Gglucoraphanin for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases (GRA-MYR-ND)

RECRUITING
NCT07360977Phase NAIRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino PulejoStarted 2026-01
bioactivated GRA for adult patientsbioactivated GRA for pediatric patients
Single Gene NIPT

EXpanding Prenatal Cell Free DNA Screening Across moNogenic Disorders (EXPAND)

RECRUITING
NCT06808880Natera, Inc.Started 2024-01-25
Single-gene Noninvasive Prenatal Testing (sgNIPT)
Anatomic Stage IV Breast Cancer AJCC v8Invasive Breast CarcinomaMetastatic Triple-Negative Breast Carcinoma

Testing the Addition of an Individualized Vaccine to Durvalumab and Tremelimumab and Chemotherapy in Patients With Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer

RECRUITING
NCT03606967Phase PHASE2National Cancer Institute (NCI)Started 2021-04-13
Biopsy ProcedureBiospecimen CollectionCarboplatin
Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung CarcinomaStage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Maintenance Chemotherapy With or Without Local Consolidative Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IV Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING
NCT03137771Phase PHASE2NRG OncologyStarted 2017-04-07
3-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT)DocetaxelGemcitabine
Advanced Malignant Solid NeoplasmMetastatic Malignant Solid NeoplasmNF1 Mutation Positive Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor

Testing Whether Cancers With Specific Mutations Respond Better to Glutaminase Inhibitor, Telaglenastat Hydrochloride, Anti-Cancer Treatment, BeGIN Study

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING
NCT03872427Phase PHASE2National Cancer Institute (NCI)Started 2019-12-14
Biospecimen CollectionComputed TomographyMagnetic Resonance Imaging
Breast Cancer

Evaluating the Addition of Adjuvant Chemotherapy to Ovarian Function Suppression Plus Endocrine Therapy in Premenopausal Patients With pN0-1, ER-Positive/HER2-Negative Breast Cancer and an Oncotype Recurrence Score Less Than or Equal to 25

RECRUITING
NCT05879926Phase PHASE3NRG OncologyStarted 2023-10-18
Ovarian Function Suppression + Aromatase InhibitorAdjuvant Chemotherapy + Ovarian Function Suppression
Acute Intermittent PorphyriaHereditary CoproporphyriaVariegate Porphyria

Acute Porphyria Biomarkers for Disease Activity

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING
NCT02935400The University of Texas Medical Branch, GalvestonStarted 2014-04-28
Hemin
Fabry Disease

Natural History in Fabry Disease With IVS4+919G>A Mutations

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING
NCT07506083Chinese University of Hong KongStarted 2022-10-20
Clinical Literature
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Full-Text Mentions
NLP-detected gene mentions in article bodies · via PubTator3
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