title: Association analysis of urotensin II gene (UTS2) and flanking regions with biochemical parameters related to insulin resistance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Urotensin II (UII) is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide, which signals through a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) known as GPR14 or urotensin receptor (UTR). UII exerts a broad spectrum of actions in several systems such as vascular cell, heart muscle or pancreas, where it inhibits insulin release.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Given the reported role of UII in insulin secretion, we have performed a genetic association analysis of the UTS2 gene and flanking regions with biochemical parameters related to insulin resistance (fasting glucose, glucose 2 hours after a glucose overload, fasting insulin and insulin resistance estimated as HOMA).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have identified several polymorphisms associated with the analysed clinical traits, not only at the UTS2 gene, but also in thePER3 gene, located upstream from UTS2. Our results are compatible with a role for UII in glucose homeostasis and diabetes although we cannot rule out the possibility that PER3 gene may underlie the reported associations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural Genomics, Neocodex, Sevilla, Spain. mesaez@neocodex.es
authors.forename: María E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sáez
authors.forename: Tarik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Smani
authors.forename: Reposo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Lorca
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serrano-Ríos
authors.forename: Agustín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ordoñez
mesh_terms: D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D056950:Period Circadian Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics*; D013030:Spain; D014579:Urotensins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C512644:PER3 protein, human; D056950:Period Circadian Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C121697:UTS2R protein, human; D014579:Urotensins; C029677:urotensin II