Glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) is a multi-subunit integral membrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum that is composed of a catalytic subunit and transporters for G6P, inorganic phosphate, and glucose. This gene ( G6PC ) is one of the three glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic-subunit-encoding genes in human: G6PC , G6PC 2 and G6PC 3. Glucose-6-phosphatase catalyzes the hydrolysis of D-glucose 6-phosphate to D-glucose and orthophosphate and is a key enzyme in glucose homeostasis, functioning in gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis. Mutations in this gene cause glycogen storage disease type I (GSD1). This disease, also known as von Gierke disease, is a metabolic disorder characterized by severe hypoglycemia associated with the accumulation of glycogen and fat in the liver and kidneys.[provided by RefSeq, Feb 2011]
Forensic Context
A study in mice demonstrated that the G6PC1 (G6pc) was significantly up-regulated in liver tissue from a severe heatstroke model compared to a fever control, with this differential expression validated at both the mRNA level by RT-qPCR and the protein level by Western blot [Duan et al. DOI:10.1007/s00414-025-03634-8]. The identified up-regulation, alongside other specific markers, provides comparative transcriptomic evidence for distinguishing hyperthermia-related deaths, indicating its potential as a reliable forensic biomarker for differentiating heatstroke from fever.