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Genetics Library / Genes / CYP11B1

GENE REFERENCE / HGNC:2591

CYP11B1

cytochrome P450 family 11 subfamily B member 1

protein-coding gene8q24.3Gene information

What does this gene do?

The CYP11B1 gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called 11-beta-hydroxylase. This enzyme is found in the adrenal glands, which are located on top of the kidneys. The 11-beta-hydroxylase enzyme is a member of the cytochrome P450 family of enzymes. These enzymes are involved in the formation and breakdown of various molecules within cells.

The 11-beta-hydroxylase enzyme helps produce hormones called cortisol and corticosterone. Specifically, the enzyme helps convert a molecule called 11-deoxycortisol to cortisol, and helps convert another molecule called 11-deoxycorticosterone to corticosterone. These processes are triggered by the release of a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain.

Cortisol helps maintain blood sugar (glucose) levels, protects the body from physical stress, and suppresses inflammation. Corticosterone is converted to the hormone aldosterone by the aldosterone synthase enzyme, which is produced from the nearby CYP11B2 gene. Aldosterone helps control blood pressure by maintaining proper salt and fluid levels in the body.

Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Source publication: 2023-07-26. Source review: 2014-04.

Related condition topics

MedlinePlus mentions this gene in the condition pages below. These links alone do not show that the gene causes a condition.

ClinGen reviews

We found no matching ClinGen review in the data used here. This does not rule out a link between the gene and a condition.

ClinVar records

These numbers show what has been submitted to ClinVar. They cannot tell you how likely you are to have a condition.

Submitted alleles
1,072
Submissions for variants in or overlapping this gene
1,823
Submissions explicitly reporting this gene
1,730
Alleles reported pathogenic / likely pathogenic
227
VariationIDs with uncertain significance
279
VariationIDs with conflicting classifications
49

The rows count different things: alleles, submissions or VariationIDs. Their categories can overlap, so do not add them together. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic counts exclude structural variants that merely overlap a gene. A dash in the source means “not reported,” not zero.

NCBI produces the gene-summary file each week using counts recorded at the start of the month. The numbers may differ from those on the live ClinVar website. Read the field definitions ↗

View this gene in ClinVar ↗

YOUR DNA FILE

Can your DNA file tell you about CYP11B1?

From a DNA test kit (such as 23andMe, AncestryDNA or MyHeritage). These kits check a fixed list of about 600,000 to 700,000 positions across your whole genome. ClinVar lists 227 alleles in CYP11B1 reported as pathogenic or likely pathogenic. A kit checks only some of these positions, and often none of them.

From whole genome sequencing (a VCF file). Sequencing reads most of your genome. Your file lists the places where your DNA differs from the reference genome. Some regions are hard to sequence, including parts of some genes that have near-identical copies elsewhere, and a VCF file does not record which positions were read well.

If a variant is not in your file, that does not mean you don’t have it.

What BioDecode checks

BioDecode compares every variant in your file with ClinVar, on your own computer. For each match, it shows the ClinVar classification, the review status and the condition it was reported for. Your file is not uploaded.

A ClinVar classification applies to one particular variant and the condition it was reported for. It does not tell you about other variants in CYP11B1.

BioDecode cannot fill gaps in your test, diagnose a condition or replace clinical testing.

Sources and dates

The source information on this page last changed on 2026-10-24.

HGNC Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Fri, 16 Oct 2026 13:36:12 GMT
Source record updated: 2023-01-20

SHA-256: 72bfe0c05800163c040a2cf663c70501f9ac9236469fbd0b552f2cd37a4d7f67

MedlinePlus Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Sat, 24 Oct 2026 05:15:45 GMT
Source publication: 2023-07-26
Source review: 2014-04

SHA-256: fdc8bd614310c12718379cef6569962e5d0e791cecabcc355b53a72816ac263a

ClinVar Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 03:41:17 GMT

SHA-256: 9a8c00a7987db98812ad59025733fd9d491e66316267e09a482adcb8cce1d14e

About the library sources · Latest validated release · Record e2a045688d18