NIH R01 · 2024
Molecular functions of human zinc transporter-8 in pancreatic beta cells
The long-term goal of our research is to understand how the molecular and cellular functions of zinc transporter-8 (ZnT8) modulate pathophysiologic responses of human pancreatic beta cells to inflammatory stress and autoimmune attack. ZnT8 is a tissue-specific zinc transporter with an exceedingly high expression level in the insulin-producing beta cells that dedicate ~50% of biosynthetic capacity to insulin production and secretion upon glucose stimulation. The primary function of ZnT8 is to maintain a high zinc concentration required for proper insulin folding and crystalline packing in the insulin secretory granules, but growing evidence suggests that ZnT8 is a dynamic protein with…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.