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Genetics Library / Genes / PTS

GENE REFERENCE / HGNC:9689

PTS

6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthase

protein-coding gene11q23.1Gene information

What does this gene do?

The PTS gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthase. This enzyme is involved in the second of three steps in the production of a molecule called tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). Other enzymes help carry out the first and third steps in this process.

Tetrahydrobiopterin plays a critical role in processing several protein building blocks (amino acids) in the body. For example, it works with the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase to convert an amino acid called phenylalanine into another amino acid, tyrosine. Tetrahydrobiopterin is also involved in reactions that produce chemicals called neurotransmitters, which transmit signals between nerve cells in the brain. Because it helps enzymes carry out chemical reactions, tetrahydrobiopterin is known as a cofactor.

Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Source publication: 2020-08-18. Source review: 2011-05.

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
BH4-deficient hyperphenylalaninemia AMONDO:0009863 · Evaluated 2017-12-22Autosomal recessiveDefinitiveAminoacidopathy 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
397
Submissions for variants in or overlapping this gene
748
Submissions explicitly reporting this gene
727
Alleles reported pathogenic / likely pathogenic
113
VariationIDs with uncertain significance
76
VariationIDs with conflicting classifications
19

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 PTS?

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 113 alleles in PTS 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 PTS.

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 2026-10-17.

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, 17 Oct 2026 05:15:49 GMT
Source publication: 2020-08-18
Source review: 2011-05

SHA-256: fdc8bd614310c12718379cef6569962e5d0e791cecabcc355b53a72816ac263a

ClinVar Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Sun, 11 Oct 2026 06:36:01 GMT

SHA-256: b21584f8ebc89a636ce9706023fa9052460587e2ab0fe6d0edf4b9db34336c02

ClinGen Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Sat, 17 Oct 2026 07:46:29 GMT

SHA-256: 46d4c75fcae7dd62a9dea4988bbbd440bdc68f2db452fea1556d47b0406de60e

About the library sources · Latest validated release · Record 149fc2733392