Decreased levels of keratin 8 sensitize mice to streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

Diabetes is a result of an interplay between genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. Keratin intermediate filaments are stress proteins in epithelial cells, and keratin mutations predispose to several human diseases. However, the involvement of keratins in diabetes is not well known. K8 and its partner K18 are the main β-cell keratins, and knockout of K8 (K8^-/- ) in mice causes mislocalization of glucose transporter 2, mitochondrial defects, reduced insulin content and altered systemic glucose/insulin control. We hypothesize that K8/K18 offer protection during β-cell stress and that decreased K8 levels contribute to diabetes susceptibility.

Methods

K8-heterozygous knockout (K8^+/- ) and wild-type (K8^+/+ ) mice were used to evaluate t

SUBMITTER: Alam CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6175344 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature