Temporal Transcriptomic and Proteomic Landscapes of Deteriorating Pancreatic Islets in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Progressive reduction in β-cell mass and function comprise the core of the pathogenesis mechanism of type 2 diabetes. The process of deteriorating pancreatic islets, in which a complex network of molecular events is involved, is not yet fully characterized. We used RNA sequencing and tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics technology to measure the temporal mRNA and protein expression changes of pancreatic islets in Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats from 4 to 24 weeks of age. Our omics data set outlines the dynamics of the molecular network during the deterioration of GK islets as two stages: The early stage (4-6 weeks) is characterized by anaerobic glycolysis, inflammation priming, and compensation for insulin synthesis, and the late stage (8-24 weeks) is characterized by inflammation amplification and compensation failure. Further time course analysis allowed us to reveal 5,551 differentially expressed genes, a large portion of which have not been reported before. Our comprehensive and temporal transcriptome and proteome data offer a valuable resource for the diabetes research community and for quantitative biology.