2014年2月17日訊 /生物谷BIOON/ --最近來自加拿大多倫多Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute的研究人員在Science Signaling雜誌上發表研究成果稱銜接蛋白p66Shc與糖尿病的進程有關。p66Shc蛋白主要調控細胞生長和葡萄糖代謝通路。此前有動物實驗顯示,當阻斷p66Shc蛋白表達時,小鼠的壽命延長、對葡萄糖耐受增強且肥胖程度降低。據此,研究人員對p66Shc進行進一步研究認為,當p66Shc被阻斷時,動物體內的葡萄糖代謝和能量代謝強度會上升並最終促進細胞的生長。換句話說,p66Shc對胰島素信號通路和能量代謝等起到抑制作用,一旦p66Shc被激活,會導致血糖含量上升並最終導致糖尿病以及癌症的發生。研究人員通過了解p66Shc的功能進一步加深了對糖尿病成因的認識並有助於新的糖尿病療法的開發。(生物谷Bioon.com)
詳細英文報導:
A protein known to be part of a complex communications network within the cell has also been found to be associated with important processes involved in cancer and diabetes.
In a study that will be published Feb. 18 in Science Signaling, researchers identified a new role for the adaptor protein p66Shc in controlling glucose metabolism and cell growth, two processes that are highly regulated in our cells. When disruptions in these functions occur, diseases like cancer and diabetes can arise.
The job of adaptor proteins is to act as a linker or switch to fine-tune cellular functions. Previous research by other scientists suggested that mice deficient in the p66Shc adaptor protein have an increased lifespan, no signs of cancer, better glucose tolerance and an apparent resistance to the development of obesity and diabetes.
With this knowledge, Mohamed Soliman, a researcher at the Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, and his colleagues set out to better understand the role of adaptor p66Shc in cells.
"We found when silencing the adaptor p66Shc in cells, it enhances not only glucose metabolism, but also the metabolism of and molecules involved in making the cells' building blocks, resulting in overall increased cell growth," Soliman said in a statement.
In other words, p66Shc acts to suppress insulin signaling and energy metabolism when glucose levels are high, as in the case of diabetes, the researchers explained.
The findings could help scientists find new treatments for diabetes and cancer by targeting the p66Shc adaptor.