Glucose 6-phosphatase

Glucose 6-phosphatase is an enzyme in the gluconeogenesis pathway that removes the phosphate from glucose 6-phosphate, (where the goal is to increase free glucose in the blood due to the body being in the catabolic state).

The main purpose of glucose 6-phosphatase is to dephosphorylate glucose 6-phosphate so that the free glucose can be exported from the cell via glucose transporter membrane proteins.

Locations
Glucose 6-phosphatase is found in the liver and kidney and is involved in the organs' role in glucose homeostasis. Glucose-6-phosphatase is located on the inner membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum of the liver and kidney. Muscle and brain do not contain glucose 6-phosphatase; as a result any glucose 6-phosphate produced by glycogenolysis is used to generate ATP via glycolysis.

According to Surholt and Newsholme, glucose 6-phosphatase activity IS present in a wide variety of muscles across the animal kingdom.

Clinical Significance
A deficiency in glucose 6-phosphatase can lead to a glycogen storage disease called von Gierke's disease.