Interaction of the G protein beta 3 subunit T825 allele and the IRS-1 Arg972 variant in type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a common late-onset disease with a strong genetic component. It is characterized by insulin resistance which results from alterations in insulin signal transduction. The G protein beta 3 subunit 825T allele was recently found to be associated with hypertension and obesity which makes it a sensible candidate gene for type 2 diabetes.

In a case-control study on 320 male patients and 962 male healthy controls we investigated the association of two candidate genes with diabetes, i.e. (i) the GNB3 825T allele, associated with a G protein beta 3 subunit splice variant and enhanced intracellular signal transduction, and (ii) the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) 972Arg variant, which encodes a protein variant associated with cellular insulin resistance.

The GNB3 825T allele and the IRS-1 972Arg variant were significantly associated with diabetes (odds ratios for either variant 1.4 1.8). Odds ratios were 3 4 in males carrying both alleles.

The results document an association of a hypertension susceptibility gene with type 2 diabetes which may partially explain the frequent coexistence of both disorders.