Isolation of cDNA encoding the human liver phosphorylase kinase alpha subunit (PHKA2) and identification of a missense mutation of the PHKA2 gene in a family with liver phosphorylase kinase deficiency.

X-linked liver glycogenosis (XLG) due to liver phosphorylase kinase (PHK) deficiency is the most frequent liver glycogen storage disease. The affected patients present in early childhood with hepatomegaly and growth retardation. We isolated and determined the structure of human liver alpha subunit of PHK (PHKA2) cDNA. The 3705 base pair open reading frame encodes a polypeptide of 1235 amino acid residues, and the deduced amino acid sequence shows 93 and 68% homology to that of rabbit liver alpha subunit of PHK and human muscle alpha subunit of PHK, respectively. We identified a missense mutation, a valine substitution for glycine at amino acid 193, in the PHKA2 gene of a family with XLG.