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Genetics Library / Genes / GYS2

GENE REFERENCE / HGNC:4707

GYS2

glycogen synthase 2

protein-coding gene12p12.1Gene information

What does this gene do?

The GYS2 gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called liver glycogen synthase. Liver glycogen synthase is produced solely in liver cells, where it helps form the complex sugar glycogen by linking together molecules of the simple sugar glucose. Glucose that is taken in from food is stored in the body as glycogen, which is a major source of energy. Glycogen that is stored in the liver can be broken down rapidly when glucose is needed to maintain normal blood glucose levels between meals.

Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Source publication: 2023-07-25. Source review: 2014-01.

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

ClinGen reviews the evidence linking a particular gene to a condition. Each rating below describes the strength of that link. It does not classify a variant in your DNA file.

ConditionInheritanceEvidence
glycogen storage disorder due to hepatic glycogen synthase deficiencyMONDO:0009414 · Evaluated 2024-03-22Autosomal recessiveDefinitiveGeneral Inborn Errors of Metabolism Gene Curation Expert Panel

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
444
Submissions for variants in or overlapping this gene
781
Submissions explicitly reporting this gene
719
Alleles reported pathogenic / likely pathogenic
52
VariationIDs with uncertain significance
166
VariationIDs with conflicting classifications
23

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 GYS2?

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 52 alleles in GYS2 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 GYS2.

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: 2023-07-25
Source review: 2014-01

SHA-256: fdc8bd614310c12718379cef6569962e5d0e791cecabcc355b53a72816ac263a

ClinVar Source details

Open source record ↗

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

SHA-256: 9a8c00a7987db98812ad59025733fd9d491e66316267e09a482adcb8cce1d14e

ClinGen Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:06:31 GMT

SHA-256: 80a5e6a08b5ae87f6bad38cb2df1564fae7e038c575918f122170235748c85a4

About the library sources · Latest validated release · Record 86549dfa767b