Study Identifies Genes in Mice Linked to Diabetes Mellitus

Experts identified a gene that is associated with the development of diabetes mellitus in mice.

Recently, a team of scientists from the Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and other renowned universities looked at certain pathological mechanisms that occur in both humans and mice related to type-2 diabetes. They observed genome and phenome in 183 mice and their expressions in different environmental settings, life conditions and dietary habits, report the BioScience Technology.

The scientists also used a new analytical layer through a spectrometry technology that helps assess and quantify the presence of various proteins or proteome in a single sample of gene. This enabled them to trace the gene in chromosome 2 that is linked to the development of disease.

"The mice with a high-fat diet are more or less likely to develop diabetes depending on whether this gene is active or not", said Evan Williams, study author and researcher at the Laboratory of integrative systems physiology (LISP) in a news release.

"By combining our various 'layers' of information, we were able to establish exactly the process that leads from the presence of this gene to an increased risk of diabetes," he adds.

In addition, the study also noted that mice that had diabetes had low amount of a specific metabolite whose level is influenced by the presence of the gene. These observations prevailed regardless of the type of diet the mice were given and their body fat. The results confirmed the relation between the gene and expression of protein that causes diabetes.

To check if the findings were relevant to humans, the research team used data from a previous trial involving over 1,000 participants. In all diabetic patients, the level of metabolite concentration or aminoadipase was lesser than those without the condition.

"Thanks to this innovative approach that connects several layers of information, we were able to identify a urinary marker that can easily detect the presence of a case of diabetes. It is very exciting to see that we can now translate research results from one species to another. To me, a new age for biology, and soon medicine, has just begun," said Johan Auwerx, director of the Laboratory of integrative systems physiology (LISP) in a news release.

More information is available online in the journal of Cell Metabolism.