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Primary topic: NQO1 redox defense gene

NQO1 Gene and Metabolism: What It Means for Your Body

NQO1 matters when oxidative load and detoxification overlap in a way that feels harder to recover from.

What is the NQO1 gene?

NQO1 helps reduce quinones and supports redox defense. That puts it at the overlap of detoxification and oxidative-stress buffering.

How NQO1 affects metabolism

If NQO1-related support is weaker, oxidant-heavy exposures and redox stress can become harder to buffer cleanly.

What happens when NQO1 is altered

Altered NQO1 function does not prove oxidative stress is active, but it increases the value of checking redox markers directly.

Curated SNP evidence for NQO1

These SNPs come from the approved study-level evidence model. Each claim is scored from curated study rows, then gated before it can influence pathway scoring.

Oxidative stress

Evidence-backed report connection

NQO1 currently has 2 curated SNPs, 6 claim-level scores, and 2 claims eligible for pathway scoring.

Open the sample report
rs1131341NQO1 supporting signal3 claims · 9 study rows

expression · AA

NQO1 gene expression

Not used for pathway scoring

rs1131341 AA is associated with reduced NQO1 gene expression.

NQO1 rs1131341 is scored as a cautious tendency toward lower NQO1 expression for A-containing genotypes, strongest for AA.

Likely effectLower gene expression signal
Signal sizeModerate signal
Evidence supportModerate support
Report useEvidence only, not scored
Show study evidence
NCBI RefSNP recordidentity only · unknownNCBI RefSNP identifies rs1131341 in NQO1 and annotates the common A allele as the coding p.Arg139Trp change in transcript NM_000903.3. This record scores the common A/G genotype set for a simplified NQO1 expression tendency.PubMed 12172217expression eqtl · directPan et al. studied the NQO1 465C>T variant and found that it increased alternative splicing, lowered NQO1 protein expression in the studied cell model, and that corrected splicing increased NQO1 protein and enzymatic activity. This supports a lower-expression tendency for A-containing genotypes.PMC8703842review · loose proxyA review of NQO1 roles describes NQO1*3 as the Arg139Trp variant and notes that exon-deleted NQO1 mutants provide a plausible explanation for reduced enzyme activity. Because the evidence base is smaller than for rs1800566, this file uses moderate magnitude and lower certainty.

expression · AG

NQO1 gene expression

Not used for pathway scoring

rs1131341 AG is associated with reduced NQO1 gene expression.

NQO1 rs1131341 is scored as a cautious tendency toward lower NQO1 expression for A-containing genotypes, strongest for AA.

Likely effectLower gene expression signal
Signal sizeSmall signal
Evidence supportLimited support
Report useEvidence only, not scored
Show study evidence
NCBI RefSNP recordidentity only · unknownNCBI RefSNP identifies rs1131341 in NQO1 and annotates the common A allele as the coding p.Arg139Trp change in transcript NM_000903.3. This record scores the common A/G genotype set for a simplified NQO1 expression tendency.PubMed 12172217expression eqtl · directPan et al. studied the NQO1 465C>T variant and found that it increased alternative splicing, lowered NQO1 protein expression in the studied cell model, and that corrected splicing increased NQO1 protein and enzymatic activity. This supports a lower-expression tendency for A-containing genotypes.PMC8703842review · loose proxyA review of NQO1 roles describes NQO1*3 as the Arg139Trp variant and notes that exon-deleted NQO1 mutants provide a plausible explanation for reduced enzyme activity. Because the evidence base is smaller than for rs1800566, this file uses moderate magnitude and lower certainty.

expression · GG

NQO1 gene expression

Not used for pathway scoring

rs1131341 GG has no scored directional claim for NQO1 gene expression.

NQO1 rs1131341 is scored as a cautious tendency toward lower NQO1 expression for A-containing genotypes, strongest for AA.

Likely effectNo clear expression signal
Signal sizeMinimal signal
Evidence supportVery limited support
Report useEvidence only, not scored
Show study evidence
NCBI RefSNP recordidentity only · unknownNCBI RefSNP identifies rs1131341 in NQO1 and annotates the common A allele as the coding p.Arg139Trp change in transcript NM_000903.3. This record scores the common A/G genotype set for a simplified NQO1 expression tendency.PubMed 12172217expression eqtl · directPan et al. studied the NQO1 465C>T variant and found that it increased alternative splicing, lowered NQO1 protein expression in the studied cell model, and that corrected splicing increased NQO1 protein and enzymatic activity. This supports a lower-expression tendency for A-containing genotypes.PMC8703842review · loose proxyA review of NQO1 roles describes NQO1*3 as the Arg139Trp variant and notes that exon-deleted NQO1 mutants provide a plausible explanation for reduced enzyme activity. Because the evidence base is smaller than for rs1800566, this file uses moderate magnitude and lower certainty.
rs1800566P187S3 claims · 9 study rows

enzyme activity · AA

NQO1 enzyme activity

Strong

rs1800566 AA is associated with reduced NQO1 enzyme activity.

NQO1 rs1800566 is scored as a lower NQO1 enzyme-activity tendency for A-containing genotypes, strongest for AA and intermediate for AG.

Likely effectLower enzyme activity signal
Signal sizeModerate signal
Evidence supportStrong support
Report useIncluded in pathway scoring
Show study evidence
NCBI RefSNP recordidentity only · unknownNCBI RefSNP identifies rs1800566 in NQO1 and annotates the common A allele as the coding p.Pro187Ser change in transcript NM_000903.3. This record scores the common A/G genotype set for NQO1 enzyme-activity tendency.PMC2727266functional assay · directA HuGE review describes the NQO1 609C>T / Pro187Ser polymorphism as causing loss of enzyme activity through protein instability, with homozygous variant activity almost undetectable and heterozygous activity intermediate between variant homozygotes and wild type. This supports strong lower-activity scoring for AA and moderate lower-activity scoring for AG.PubMed 30518535review · directPey et al. reviewed NQO1 biochemistry and reported that the p.Pro187Ser variant has much lower activity than wild type, mainly because reduced FAD affinity lowers protein stability. This supports interpreting A-containing genotypes as a lower NQO1 enzyme-activity tendency.

enzyme activity · AG

NQO1 enzyme activity

Strong

rs1800566 AG is associated with reduced NQO1 enzyme activity.

NQO1 rs1800566 is scored as a lower NQO1 enzyme-activity tendency for A-containing genotypes, strongest for AA and intermediate for AG.

Likely effectLower enzyme activity signal
Signal sizeSmall signal
Evidence supportStrong support
Report useIncluded in pathway scoring
Show study evidence
NCBI RefSNP recordidentity only · unknownNCBI RefSNP identifies rs1800566 in NQO1 and annotates the common A allele as the coding p.Pro187Ser change in transcript NM_000903.3. This record scores the common A/G genotype set for NQO1 enzyme-activity tendency.PMC2727266functional assay · directA HuGE review describes the NQO1 609C>T / Pro187Ser polymorphism as causing loss of enzyme activity through protein instability, with homozygous variant activity almost undetectable and heterozygous activity intermediate between variant homozygotes and wild type. This supports strong lower-activity scoring for AA and moderate lower-activity scoring for AG.PubMed 30518535review · directPey et al. reviewed NQO1 biochemistry and reported that the p.Pro187Ser variant has much lower activity than wild type, mainly because reduced FAD affinity lowers protein stability. This supports interpreting A-containing genotypes as a lower NQO1 enzyme-activity tendency.

enzyme activity · GG

NQO1 enzyme activity

Not used for pathway scoring

rs1800566 GG has no scored directional claim for NQO1 enzyme activity.

NQO1 rs1800566 is scored as a lower NQO1 enzyme-activity tendency for A-containing genotypes, strongest for AA and intermediate for AG.

Likely effectNo clear enzyme signal
Signal sizeMinimal signal
Evidence supportVery limited support
Report useEvidence only, not scored
Show study evidence
NCBI RefSNP recordidentity only · unknownNCBI RefSNP identifies rs1800566 in NQO1 and annotates the common A allele as the coding p.Pro187Ser change in transcript NM_000903.3. This record scores the common A/G genotype set for NQO1 enzyme-activity tendency.PMC2727266functional assay · directA HuGE review describes the NQO1 609C>T / Pro187Ser polymorphism as causing loss of enzyme activity through protein instability, with homozygous variant activity almost undetectable and heterozygous activity intermediate between variant homozygotes and wild type. This supports strong lower-activity scoring for AA and moderate lower-activity scoring for AG.PubMed 30518535review · directPey et al. reviewed NQO1 biochemistry and reported that the p.Pro187Ser variant has much lower activity than wild type, mainly because reduced FAD affinity lowers protein stability. This supports interpreting A-containing genotypes as a lower NQO1 enzyme-activity tendency.

Common symptoms people report

  • slower recovery under high load
  • feeling worse with oxidative stressors
  • energy that drops faster under environmental or metabolic stress

Biomarkers to validate

GSH/GSSG ratio

Direct redox follow-up.

Oxidative stress panels

Useful for broader redox context.

Inflammation context

Adds overlap with systemic load.

Where DNA analysis helps

DNA helps decide whether quinone/redox handling deserves attention before broad antioxidant strategies are used blindly.

Example Insight

Your redox-defense pathway may be less forgiving under oxidant-heavy load than expected.

Suggested validation: GSH/GSSG ratio plus an oxidative stress panel.

What to do next

  • Validate redox markers before assuming supplementation is the answer.
  • Review NQO1 with GSTM1 and GCLC when recovery feels constrained.
  • Use workload and symptom context with biomarkers.

Upload your DNA file and receive a structured metabolic pathway analysis with prioritized insights and suggested validation markers.

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Inflammation and immune signaling pathway

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Can DNA predict metabolism?

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Best DNA test for metabolism

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Related symptom angle

Low energy metabolism causes

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