Zinc transporters and their role in the pancreatic β-cell.

摘要: Zinc is an essential nutrient with tremendous importance for human health, and zinc deficiency a severe risk factor increased mortality morbidity. As abnormal homeostasis causes diabetes, because the pancreatic β-cell contains highest content of any known cell type, it interest to know how fluxes are controlled in β-cells. The understanding has been boosted by discovery multiprotein families transporters, one them – transporter 8 (ZnT8) abundantly specifically expressed islets Langerhans. In this review, we discuss evidence physiological role ZnT8 formation zinc-insulin crystals, physical form which most insulin stored secretory granules. addition, cross-examine information, collected genetically modified mouse strains, knowledge that genetic variants gene predispose onset type 2 diabetes epitopes on protein trigger autoimmunity patients 1 diabetes. overall conclusion still at dawn complete operates normal β-cells abnormalities lead dysfunction (J Diabetes Invest, doi: 10.1111/j.2040-1124.2012.00199.x, 2012)