Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 6, 2026
08:09
Isolation of Rat Adipose Tissue Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Differentiation into Insulin-producing Cells
Published on: August 29, 2022
8.5K
Adipose Tissue Transferrin and Insulin Resistance
Donald A McClain1,2, Neeraj K Sharma1, Shalini Jain1
1Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
|August 13, 2018
Summary
Excessive body iron is linked to insulin resistance. Genetic regulation of transferrin (TF) in fat tissue impacts insulin sensitivity, revealing a new role for iron metabolism in diabetes development.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic Research
- Genetics
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Excess body iron stores are a known risk factor for diminished insulin sensitivity (SI) and type 2 diabetes.
- Transcriptional dysregulation of iron metabolism genes in adipocytes is hypothesized to contribute to insulin resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic regulation of iron metabolism and its direct role in insulin sensitivity.
- To identify specific genes and genetic variants influencing iron homeostasis and SI.
Main Methods:
- Utilized gene expression, genotype, and SI data from an African American cohort (N=256) with replication in European ancestry cohorts.
- Conducted in vitro studies using human adipocytes to determine the functional role of a key gene in insulin resistance.
- Analyzed correlations between 62 iron homeostasis gene transcripts and SI in adipose tissue.
Main Results:
- Expression of 30 iron homeostasis genes in adipose tissue correlated with SI; transferrin (TF) and ferritin showed significant associations.
- A strong cis-regulatory variant for TF expression (rs6785596) was identified in adipose tissue and replicated across cohorts.
- TF knockdown in adipocytes reduced intracellular iron, impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, and altered expression of 465 genes involved in glucose transport and metabolic pathways.
Conclusions:
- Genetic regulation of transferrin (TF) expression in adipose tissue represents a novel mechanism influencing insulin sensitivity.
- Findings highlight the critical role of adipose tissue iron metabolism in the development of insulin resistance and diabetes.
Related Concept Videos
01:28The Early Endosome: Endocytosis of Transferrin
4.9K
Essential proteins such as insulin or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and micronutrients such as iron enter a eukaryotic cell through receptor-mediated endocytosis. Subsequently, the early endosomes fuse with the vesicles containing such receptor-ligand complexes and play a vital role in sorting the incoming ligands and receptors. While the ligands are either degraded inside the vesicle or released into the cytosol, their receptors are returned to the plasma membrane for further rounds of...
4.9K
01:05Insulin Secretory Vesicles
7.0K
Insulin secretory vesicles release insulin to stimulate blood glucose uptake and regulate carbohydrate metabolism. When the blood glucose levels increase, glucose enters the pancreatic β-islet cells through glucose transporters. Once inside, glucose is metabolized through glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and the electron transport chain, producing ATP. This increase in ATP concentration closes ATP-sensitive potassium channels, leading to depolarization of the membrane and the opening of...
7.0K
01:22Resistivity
4.6K
When a voltage is applied to a conductor, an electrical field is generated, and charges in the conductor feel the force due to the electrical field. The current density that results depends on the electrical field and the properties of the material. In some materials, including metals at a given temperature, the current density is approximately proportional to the electrical field. In these cases, the current density can be modeled as:
4.6K
01:19Resistance
6.0K
When a current moves through any conductor, the conductor causes some level of difficulty for the current to flow. The measure of that difficulty is known as the resistance of the material and is represented by R. Every material has its own resistance. In the case of conductors, heat is emitted whenever a current passes through them. Resistance depends on the resistivity of the material. Resistivity is a characteristic of the material used to fabricate electrical components, whereas the...
6.0K
01:28Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways
3.3K
Insulin action is mediated through a receptor tyrosine kinase, akin to the IGF-1 receptor. The number of receptors per cell varies significantly, from 40 on erythrocytes to 300,000 on adipocytes and hepatocytes. The insulin receptor consists of linked α/β subunit dimers, forming a heterotetramer glycoprotein with two extracellular α subunits and two β subunits spanning the membrane. The α subunits inhibit the inherent tyrosine kinase activity of the β subunits, but...
3.3K
01:27Insulin Formulations: Types and Delivery
758
Insulin preparations are categorized by their duration of action into short-acting and long-acting types. Two strategies are used to modify insulin's absorption and pharmacokinetic profile: slowing the absorption post-subcutaneous injection, or altering human insulin's amino acid sequence or protein structure. These changes retain the insulin's ability to bind to the insulin receptor, but alter its behavior in solution or after injection.
Short-acting insulins are divided into...
Short-acting insulins are divided into...
758