著者
Nomoto Hiroshi Kondo Takuma Miyoshi Hideaki Nakamura Akinobu Hida Yoko Yamashita Ken-ichiro Sharma Arun J. Atsumi Tatsuya
出版者
Endocrine Society
雑誌
Endocrinology (ISSN:00137227)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.156, no.10, pp.3570-3580, 2015-10
被引用文献数
13

The large-Maf transcription factor v-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog A (MafA) has been found to be crucial for insulin transcription and synthesis and for pancreatic beta-cell function and maturation. However, insights about the effects of small Maf factors on beta-cells are limited. Our goal was to elucidate the function of small-Maf factors on beta-cells using an animal model of endogenous small-Maf dysfunction. Transgenic (Tg) mice with beta-cell-specific expression of dominant-negative MafK (DN-MafK) experiments, which can suppress the function of all endogenous small-Mafs, were fed a high-fat diet, and their in vivo phenotypes were evaluated. Phenotypic analysis, glucose tolerance tests, morphologic examination of beta-cells, and islet experiments were performed. DN-MafK-expressed MIN6 cells were also used for in vitro analysis. The results showed that DN-MafK expression inhibited endogenous small-Maf binding to insulin promoter while increasing MafA binding. DN-MafK Tg mice under high-fat diet conditions showed improved glucose metabolism compared with control mice via incremental insulin secretion, without causing changes in insulin sensitivity or MafA expression. Moreover, up-regulation of insulin and glucokinase gene expression was observed both in vivo and in vitro under DN-MafK expression. We concluded that endogenous small-Maf factors negatively regulates beta-cell function by competing for MafA binding, and thus, the inhibition of small-Maf activity can improve beta-cell function.