title: Zinc, a regulator of islet function and glucose homeostasis.
abstract: It is well known that zinc is required in pancreatic beta-cells in the process of insulin biosynthesis and the maturation of insulin secretory granules. In fact, the zinc level in pancreatic islets is amongst the highest in the body and reduction in its levels in the pancreas has been associated with diabetes. High concentrations of zinc can also be toxic because of enhanced oxidative damage. The link between zinc, diabetes and islet dysfunction has recently been reiterated by genomewide association studies that identified an islet cell membrane zinc transporter, SLC30A8 (ZnT8), as one of the risk loci for type 2 diabetes. Here we explore the importance of both zinc and ZnT8 to islet biology and whole body glucose homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wijesekara
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chimienti
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Wheeler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000502:physiology*; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000502:physiology*; D000075703:Zinc Transporter 8
chemical_list: D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D007328:Insulin; C516348:Slc30a8 protein, mouse; D000075703:Zinc Transporter 8; D005947:Glucose; D015032:Zinc