I have not heard of any research linking the amount of glycogen synthase with autism spectrum disorders--nor with mitochondrial disorders. That doesn't prove there isn't any, but I don't know of any reason to suspect one. Also, the rate of glycogen synthase activity is controlled by much more than the amount of the enzyme that exists.
The activity can be turned on or off depending on the tissue (muscle, liver) and the amount of carbohydrates being taken in by the body. Insulin signaling is a major regulator of body glucose balance, and therefore of glycogen synthesis/breakdown. Therefore, it is important to define whether you are looking for changes in the amount of enzyme in a disorder, or changes in the activity.
Also, along the lines of your question, since brain tissue contains very little glycogen reserve compared to muscle or liver (that's at least partly why starving the brain of glucose causes so much damage so quickly), it's much more likely that glycogen synthase in another tissue is responsible for a disorder.
14 Jun 2015, 5:23 pm
