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Primary topic: SLC30A8 insulin gene

SLC30A8 Gene and Metabolism: What It Means for Your Body

SLC30A8 matters when insulin secretion quality itself looks like part of the glucose-handling picture.

What is the SLC30A8 gene?

SLC30A8 helps move zinc into insulin granules in pancreatic beta cells. That makes it relevant to how insulin is packaged and released.

How SLC30A8 affects metabolism

If SLC30A8-related support is less favorable, glucose regulation may look more brittle even when appetite and weight signals are not the whole story.

What happens when SLC30A8 is altered

Altered SLC30A8 function does not diagnose diabetes, but it does make direct glucose-validation markers more useful.

Curated SNP evidence for SLC30A8

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.

Glucose

Evidence-backed report connection

SLC30A8 currently has 2 curated SNPs, 6 claim-level scores, and 1 claims eligible for pathway scoring.

Open the sample report
rs11558471SLC30A8 supporting signal3 claims · 9 study rows

biomarker tendency · AA

SLC30A8 biomarker tendency

Not used for pathway scoring

rs11558471 AA is associated with increased SLC30A8 biomarker tendency.

SLC30A8 rs11558471 is scored as a modest fasting-glucose biomarker tendency for A-containing genotypes, stronger for AA than AG.

Likely effectHigher biomarker tendency
Signal sizeSmall signal
Evidence supportModerate support
Report useEvidence only, not scored
Show study evidence
NCBI RefSNP recordidentity only · unknownNCBI RefSNP data place rs11558471 in the SLC30A8 transcript region and annotate common A and G alleles, including 3-prime UTR transcript annotations. This supports using AA, AG, and GG genotype letters for this simplified record.PubMed 21810599review · close proxyA 14-cohort meta-analysis reported an interaction between total zinc intake and rs11558471 on fasting glucose, describing A as the glucose-raising allele. This supports a cautious fasting-glucose biomarker-tendency score for A-containing genotypes.PubMed 21873549gwas · close proxyA genome-wide association study of fasting proinsulin identified an SLC30A8-region signal and discussed rs11558471 in the context of insulin-processing traits. This supports keeping the record focused on biomarker tendency rather than direct transporter activity.

biomarker tendency · AG

SLC30A8 biomarker tendency

Not used for pathway scoring

rs11558471 AG is associated with increased SLC30A8 biomarker tendency.

SLC30A8 rs11558471 is scored as a modest fasting-glucose biomarker tendency for A-containing genotypes, stronger for AA than AG.

Likely effectHigher biomarker tendency
Signal sizeMinimal signal
Evidence supportModerate support
Report useEvidence only, not scored
Show study evidence
NCBI RefSNP recordidentity only · unknownNCBI RefSNP data place rs11558471 in the SLC30A8 transcript region and annotate common A and G alleles, including 3-prime UTR transcript annotations. This supports using AA, AG, and GG genotype letters for this simplified record.PubMed 21810599review · close proxyA 14-cohort meta-analysis reported an interaction between total zinc intake and rs11558471 on fasting glucose, describing A as the glucose-raising allele. This supports a cautious fasting-glucose biomarker-tendency score for A-containing genotypes.PubMed 21873549gwas · close proxyA genome-wide association study of fasting proinsulin identified an SLC30A8-region signal and discussed rs11558471 in the context of insulin-processing traits. This supports keeping the record focused on biomarker tendency rather than direct transporter activity.

biomarker tendency · GG

SLC30A8 biomarker tendency

Not used for pathway scoring

rs11558471 GG has no scored directional claim for SLC30A8 biomarker tendency.

SLC30A8 rs11558471 is scored as a modest fasting-glucose biomarker tendency for A-containing genotypes, stronger for AA than AG.

Likely effectNo clear biomarker tendency
Signal sizeMinimal signal
Evidence supportVery limited support
Report useEvidence only, not scored
Show study evidence
NCBI RefSNP recordidentity only · unknownNCBI RefSNP data place rs11558471 in the SLC30A8 transcript region and annotate common A and G alleles, including 3-prime UTR transcript annotations. This supports using AA, AG, and GG genotype letters for this simplified record.PubMed 21810599review · close proxyA 14-cohort meta-analysis reported an interaction between total zinc intake and rs11558471 on fasting glucose, describing A as the glucose-raising allele. This supports a cautious fasting-glucose biomarker-tendency score for A-containing genotypes.PubMed 21873549gwas · close proxyA genome-wide association study of fasting proinsulin identified an SLC30A8-region signal and discussed rs11558471 in the context of insulin-processing traits. This supports keeping the record focused on biomarker tendency rather than direct transporter activity.
rs13266634R325W3 claims · 9 study rows

transport activity · CC

SLC30A8 transport activity

Moderate

rs13266634 CC is associated with reduced SLC30A8 transport activity.

SLC30A8 rs13266634 is scored as a lower ZnT8 zinc-transport-activity tendency for C-containing genotypes, stronger for CC than CT.

Likely effectLower transport signal
Signal sizeModerate signal
Evidence supportModerate support
Report useIncluded in pathway scoring
Show study evidence
NCBI RefSNP recordidentity only · unknownNCBI RefSNP data place rs13266634 in SLC30A8 and annotate the common C to T coding change as an Arg-to-Trp ZnT8 protein change. This supports using CC, CT, and TT genotype letters for this simplified record.PubMed 19542200functional assay · directA ZnT8 functional study reported that the R325 form, encoded by the C allele in the NCBI transcript annotation, showed lower apparent zinc transport activity than the W325 form. This supports a cautious lower-transport-activity score for C-containing genotypes.PubMed 20167458biomarker association · loose proxyA meta-analysis of 27 study groups reported that rs13266634 C-allele carriers had higher type 2 diabetes association estimates. This supports treating the C allele as biologically relevant, while the record remains about transport tendency rather than diagnosis.

transport activity · CT

SLC30A8 transport activity

Not used for pathway scoring

rs13266634 CT is associated with reduced SLC30A8 transport activity.

SLC30A8 rs13266634 is scored as a lower ZnT8 zinc-transport-activity tendency for C-containing genotypes, stronger for CC than CT.

Likely effectLower transport signal
Signal sizeSmall signal
Evidence supportModerate support
Report useEvidence only, not scored
Show study evidence
NCBI RefSNP recordidentity only · unknownNCBI RefSNP data place rs13266634 in SLC30A8 and annotate the common C to T coding change as an Arg-to-Trp ZnT8 protein change. This supports using CC, CT, and TT genotype letters for this simplified record.PubMed 19542200functional assay · directA ZnT8 functional study reported that the R325 form, encoded by the C allele in the NCBI transcript annotation, showed lower apparent zinc transport activity than the W325 form. This supports a cautious lower-transport-activity score for C-containing genotypes.PubMed 20167458biomarker association · loose proxyA meta-analysis of 27 study groups reported that rs13266634 C-allele carriers had higher type 2 diabetes association estimates. This supports treating the C allele as biologically relevant, while the record remains about transport tendency rather than diagnosis.

transport activity · TT

SLC30A8 transport activity

Not used for pathway scoring

rs13266634 TT has no scored directional claim for SLC30A8 transport activity.

SLC30A8 rs13266634 is scored as a lower ZnT8 zinc-transport-activity tendency for C-containing genotypes, stronger for CC than CT.

Likely effectNo clear transport signal
Signal sizeMinimal signal
Evidence supportVery limited support
Report useEvidence only, not scored
Show study evidence
NCBI RefSNP recordidentity only · unknownNCBI RefSNP data place rs13266634 in SLC30A8 and annotate the common C to T coding change as an Arg-to-Trp ZnT8 protein change. This supports using CC, CT, and TT genotype letters for this simplified record.PubMed 19542200functional assay · directA ZnT8 functional study reported that the R325 form, encoded by the C allele in the NCBI transcript annotation, showed lower apparent zinc transport activity than the W325 form. This supports a cautious lower-transport-activity score for C-containing genotypes.PubMed 20167458biomarker association · loose proxyA meta-analysis of 27 study groups reported that rs13266634 C-allele carriers had higher type 2 diabetes association estimates. This supports treating the C allele as biologically relevant, while the record remains about transport tendency rather than diagnosis.

Common symptoms people report

  • post-meal fatigue
  • glucose patterns that feel inconsistent
  • family context around glucose dysregulation

Biomarkers to validate

Fasting glucose

Useful for baseline glycemic context.

HbA1c

Adds longer-term exposure context.

Fasting insulin

Helps compare secretion and sensitivity patterns.

Where DNA analysis helps

DNA helps prioritize insulin-secretion follow-up when glucose genes cluster together.

Example Insight

Your insulin-packaging pathway may deserve validation when glucose handling looks less stable than expected.

Suggested validation: fasting glucose and HbA1c.

What to do next

  • Review SLC30A8 with TCF7L2 and KCNJ11 when secretion-related patterns look relevant.
  • Use fasting glucose and HbA1c before assuming the pathway is active.
  • Treat the gene as a prioritization hint, not a diagnosis.

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

Get My DNA Report

Related pages

TCF7L2

TCF7L2 diabetes gene

IRS1

IRS1 insulin signaling gene

Triglycerides

triglycerides and metabolic health

ApoB

ApoB and lipid risk

Glucose regulation pathway

glucose regulation pathway

Lipid transport pathway

lipid transport pathway

Genetic test for weight loss Europe

genetic test for weight loss Europe

Related symptom angle

Fatigue after eating carbs

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