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A pair of signalling molecules may help regulate glucose production in the liver, according to a paper published online by Nature this week.
Two molecules, FOXO1 and PGC-1a, interact directly to turn on genes that stimulate insulin-dependent glucose production, according to Bruce M. Spiegelman from Harvard Medical School and colleagues. Previously, no direct relationship between these molecules was known. By using mice with defects in FOXO1, the authors find that PGC-1a and FOXO1 work together to stimulate insulin-dependent glucose production. As insulin action is reduced in type II diabetes, these findings in mice could shed light on the mechanisms that underpin this disease. Author contact: Bruce Spiegelman
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Dept of Cell Biology
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Tel: +1 617 632 3567
E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu (C) Nature press release.
Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza
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