PYGM

protein-coding

glycogen phosphorylase, muscle associated, the group of Glycogen phosphorylases

Gene summary

This gene encodes a muscle enzyme involved in glycogenolysis. Highly similar enzymes encoded by different genes are found in liver and brain. Mutations in this gene are associated with McArdle disease (myophosphorylase deficiency), a glycogen storage disease of muscle. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants.[provided by RefSeq, Sep 2009]

MANE transcript

NM_005609.4

Inheritance

AD, AR

ClinVar variants

P:400U:458B:441

Top phenotype

Glycogen storage disease V

gnomAD constraint

pLI —, LoF o/e 0.63

Max pathogenic AF

—

Genomic locus

chr11:64,746,389-64,759,974

External References & Databases

Transcript & Mutation Effects

hg38 • Region Span ~13.6 kb
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GenCC Phenotypes & Disease Associations

Curated gene-disease validity assertions and inheritance patterns

glycogen storage disease VLIMITED

Inheritance Pattern: AD

Disease ID:MONDO:0009293

Submitter: Ambry Genetics

glycogen storage disease VDEFINITIVE

Inheritance Pattern: AR

Disease ID:MONDO:0009293

Submitter: ClinGen

The PYGM gene, gene encodes the muscle isoform of the enzyme glycogen phosphorylase involved in glycogenolysis, which catalyses the breakdown of glycogen into glucose-1-phosphate, to be utilized within the muscle cell (PMID:17915571). Decreased or completely absent activity of muscle glycogen phosphorylase has been observed with mutations in the PYGM gene and result in McArdle disease or Glycogen Storage Disease Type V (GSD-V; MIM # 232600). (PMID:12031624,18667317). Clinical features of GSD- V include exercise intolerance with fatigue, cramps, myalgia, ‘second-wind’ phenomenon (characterized by the ability to resume exercise with less difficulty, following a short period of rest at the first appearance of fatigue), moderate to high levels of serum creatine kinase (CK) at rest, and episodic myoglobinuria (PMID:18667317, 34373715). GSD -V is inherited in an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern and seen to exhibit genetic heterogeneity. The mode of inheritance of McArdle disease is autosomal-recessive. Summary of case- based evidence: The first variants in the PYGM gene were identified in 1993 with few such as, nonsense mutation in the first exon (R50X) which is the most frequent mutation in Caucasians (PMID:8316268, 11809171). Thirteen unique variants, including missense, splice site, deletions, frameshift mutations and insertion, have been documented in individuals, both families and unrelated individuals across 13 publications (PMIDs:18667317, 34373715, 11809171, 25873271, 12031624, 35022222, 15262743, 37701325, 25240406, 37760875, 31747538, 32075227) are included in this curation. Summary of Experimental evidence: Studies on knock-in (p.R50X/p.R50X) mouse disease model analysed for maximal endurance exercise capacity and the molecular consequences of an absence of enzyme, showed that the levels of this enzyme were also significantly lower in homozygous and heterozygous mutant mice compared to wild type in three types of muscles (slow-twitch: soleus, intermediate twitch: gastrocnemius and fast twitch: Extensor digitorum longus muscles). Similar results were found for PYGM transcript levels for both the genotype and muscle effect (PMID: 25873271). Further, study on gene knockdown resulted in a reduced enzyme levels in zebrafish morphants, with features such as altered muscle structural changes and accumulation of glycogen granules in the subsarcolemmal region mimicking the symptoms of GSD-V in humans (PMID: 31747538). Further, human iPSC-based skeletal muscle model derived from a McArdle patient and a healthy control were both successfully differentiated into skeletal muscle cells. The created McArdle skeletal muscle model showed the absence of enzyme and the generated patient iPSC-based skeletal muscle model mimicked the main biochemical aspects of McArdle disease (PMID:37760875). A study on enzyme expression in white blood cells (WBCs), it was found that T lymphocytes expressed the enzyme in healthy donors, but expression was significantly lower in McArdle patients (p<0.001). PYGM mRNA levels were also lower in white blood cells from McArdle patients (PMID:25240406). The activity of enzyme in muscle homogenate of McArdle patients was extremely reduced. Also, histochemical staining of enzyme in tested biopsies showed no or minimal enzyme activity in comparison to healthy controls along with marked sub-sarcolemmal glycogen deposition in Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining (PMID:32075227). Finally, a study on effects of fatiguing activity on glycogen and glycogen phosphorylase associated with sarcoplasmic reticulum demonstrated that glycogen and glycogen phosphorylase enzyme associated with skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum are reduced after fatiguing activity. (PMID:1156145). In summary, PYGM is definitively associated with autosomal recessive Glycogen Storage Disease type V and the same has been demonstrated in both the cases diagnosed and experimental studies. This classification was approved by the ClinGen General Inborn Errors of Metabolism GCEP on the meeting date [February 28, 2025] (SOP Version 10).

glycogen storage disease VSTRONG

Inheritance Pattern: AR

Disease ID:MONDO:0009293

Submitter: Genomics England PanelApp

glycogen storage disease VSTRONG

Inheritance Pattern: AR

Disease ID:MONDO:0009293

Submitter: Labcorp Genetics (formerly Invitae)

glycogen storage disease VSUPPORTIVE

Inheritance Pattern: AR

Disease ID:MONDO:0009293

Submitter: Orphanet

disorder of glycogen metabolismMODERATE

Inheritance Pattern: AD

Disease ID:MONDO:0002412

Submitter: PanelApp Australia

glycogen storage disease VDEFINITIVE

Inheritance Pattern: AR

Disease ID:MONDO:0009293

Submitter: Natera

glycogen storage disease VSTRONG

Inheritance Pattern: AR

Disease ID:MONDO:0009293

Submitter: PanelApp Australia

Clinical Genomic Database (CGD)

Glycogen storage disease VAR

Manifestation: Biochemical; Musculoskeletal; Renal

Intervention: Biochemical; Musculoskeletal; Pharmacogenomic; Renal

Rationale: Avoidance of excessive exercise may be beneficial to avoid rhabdomyolysis and potential renal failure; Sucrose ingestion may be beneficial (eg, prior to exercise); Certain precautions should be taken with general anesthesia

Refs: 16590445; 14442994; 4502558; 1067063; 101896; 6929403; 3808314; 3466902; 3207360; 2768781; 2391551; 8408630; 8316268; 11168025; 14695410; 16924035; 17705025; 17915571; 18667317; 19251976; 19433441; 20301518; 20957198; 21802952; 21880526; 22608882; 22818872; 22899091Source: CGD (NHGRI)

ClinVar Associated Diseases & Phenotypes

Reported disease conditions connected to PYGM variants in ClinVar

20 Conditions Cataloged
Glycogen storage disease, type VTotal: 1541
not providedTotal: 229
not specifiedTotal: 111
Inborn genetic diseasesTotal: 101
PYGM-related disorderTotal: 67
Tip-toe gaitTotal: 35
Skeletal muscle channelopathyTotal: 3
See casesTotal: 3

ClinVar Variants & Pathogenicity by Type

Statistics based on transcript NM_005609.4. Only rare variants are included.

We include only reliable ClinVar variants with their consequences to MANE Select, MANE Plus Clinical transcripts, or transcripts with TSL equal to 1. Click a count to filter the variants table below.

Slight differences between displayed counts and ClinVar may occur due to a different transcript/consequence chosen by our variant effect predictor, or because we classify Benign/Likely benign as Likely benign and Pathogenic/Likely pathogenic as Likely pathogenic.

EffectPLPVUSLBBSum
synonymous
1
clinvar
1
clinvar
17
clinvar
416
clinvar
4
clinvar
439
missense
8
clinvar
69
clinvar
439
clinvar
15
clinvar
5
clinvar
536
nonsense
31
clinvar
25
clinvar
1
clinvar
57
start loss
2
clinvar
5
clinvar
7
frameshift
126
clinvar
65
clinvar
1
clinvar
192
splice donor/acceptor (+/-2bp)
7
clinvar
60
clinvar
1
clinvar
68
Total17522545843291299

Highest pathogenic variant AF is 0.0028372484

Loading ClinVar variants...

Transcript Catalog

Annotated transcript isoforms across RefSeq and Ensembl databases

Showing 4 of 10 transcripts
Transcript IDSourceProtein IDCoding ExonsMANE Status
NM_005609.4RefSeqNP_005600.120MANE Select
ENST00000164139.4EnsemblENSP00000164139.320MANE Select
NM_001164716.1RefSeqNP_001158188.118Standard
ENST00000377432.7EnsemblENSP00000366650.318Standard

Gene Ontology (GO) Annotations & Pathways

Biological processes, molecular functions, cellular components and pathways

Pathways ConsensusPathDB

  • Insulin resistance - Homo sapiens (human)
  • Starch and sucrose metabolism - Homo sapiens (human)
  • Glucagon signaling pathway - Homo sapiens (human)
  • Necroptosis - Homo sapiens (human)
  • Insulin signaling pathway - Homo sapiens (human)

Biological Process

  • glycogen metabolic process
  • glycogen catabolic process

Molecular Function

  • nucleotide binding
  • protein binding
  • glycogen phosphorylase activity
  • pyridoxal phosphate binding
  • linear malto-oligosaccharide phosphorylase activity

Cellular Component

  • cytoplasm
  • cytosol
  • extracellular exosome

gnomAD Constraint

Source: gnomAD

Gene type
protein_coding
Transcript type
protein_coding
Transcript
ENST00000164139
Coding exons
20
Length
13909
Individuals with no LoFs
125257
Homozygous LoFs
0
Heterozygous LoFs
491
Defined
125748
p
0.00195
Z-ScoreObservedExpectedObserved/ExpectedMutation RateTotal Possible
Missense0.04695195220.9940.00003875528
Missense (PolyPhen)247256.20.964092696
Synonymous-0.5182212111.050.00001541637
Loss of Function2.222742.60.6340.00000238479

Population LoF Frequency

PopulationCAFp-valueStatus
African0.00130.0012notable
Latino/Admixed American0.00210.0021notable
Ashkenazi Jewish0.000200.00020rare
East Asian0.000540.00054rare
Finnish0.000830.00083rare
European (Non-Finnish)0.00290.0029notable
South Asian0.000720.00072rare
Other0.00260.0026notable

dbNSFP Gene Annotations

Source: dbNSFP

Function
FUNCTION: Phosphorylase is an important allosteric enzyme in carbohydrate metabolism. Enzymes from different sources differ in their regulatory mechanisms and in their natural substrates. However, all known phosphorylases share catalytic and structural properties.;
Disease
DISEASE: Glycogen storage disease 5 (GSD5) [MIM:232600]: A metabolic disorder resulting in myopathy characterized by exercise intolerance, cramps, muscle weakness and recurrent myoglobinuria. {ECO:0000269|PubMed:10382911, ECO:0000269|PubMed:10382912, ECO:0000269|PubMed:10417800, ECO:0000269|PubMed:10590419, ECO:0000269|PubMed:10681080, ECO:0000269|PubMed:10714589, ECO:0000269|PubMed:10899452, ECO:0000269|PubMed:11706962, ECO:0000269|PubMed:12031624, ECO:0000269|PubMed:7603523, ECO:0000269|PubMed:8316268, ECO:0000269|PubMed:8535454, ECO:0000269|PubMed:9506549}. Note=The disease is caused by mutations affecting the gene represented in this entry.;

Recessive Scores

pRec
0.128

Intolerance Scores

LoFtool
0.0422
RVIS EVS
-0.19
RVIS percentile EVS
39.31

Essentials

Essential (CRISPR)
N
Essential (CRISPR2)
N
Essential (gene trap)
N
Indispensability pred.
E
Indispensability score
0.994

Gene Damage Prediction

AllRecessiveDominant
MendelianMediumMediumMedium
Primary ImmunodeficiencyMediumMediumMedium
CancerMediumMediumMedium
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