Ugcg - GoKawiil

Researchers solve structure of UGCG, the master enzyme behind glycolipid synthesis

Scientists led by Wu and colleagues determined eight structural snapshots of UDP-glucose ceramide glucosyltransferase (UGCG), the enzyme that initiates production of nearly all glycosphingolipids in cells. The structures, published in Nature, expose a previously unknown catalytic mechanism and show how existing drugs bind and inhibit the enzyme. They also uncovered a regulatory 'brake' element unique to primate versions of UGCG.

nature.com · 2026-08-26

Cryo-EM reveals eight structures of human UGCG enzyme and primate-specific regulation

Researchers solved eight cryo-EM structures of human UGCG, the enzyme that gatekeeps glycosphingolipid synthesis, capturing it alone and bound to substrates, products and the drugs miglustat, ibiglustat and eliglustat. The team also ran molecular dynamics simulations and a cross-species sequence comparison spanning platypus, marsupials, elephants and other mammals to trace how UGCG regulation evolved, finding features unique to primates. All structural data, simulation files and sequences have been deposited in public repositories.

nature.com · 2026-08-26