Altered Energy Homeostasis and Resistance to Diet-Induced Obesity in KRAP-Deficient Mice |
| |
| Authors: | Takahiro Fujimoto Kyoko Miyasaka Midori Koyanagi Toshiyuki Tsunoda Iwai Baba Keiko Doi Minoru Ohta Norihiro Kato Takehiko Sasazuki Senji Shirasawa |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.; 2. Center for Advanced Molecular Medicine, Fukuoka University, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.; 3. Department of Clinical Physiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.; 4. Department of Gene Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Research Institute, International Medical Center of Japan, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.;University of Parma, Italy |
| |
| Abstract: | Obesity and related metabolic disorders have become leading causes of adult morbidity and mortality. KRAP (Ki-ras-induced actin-interacting protein) is a cytoskeleton-associated protein and a ubiquitous protein among tissues, originally identified as a cancer-related molecule, however, its physiological roles remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that KRAP-deficient (KRAP−/−) mice show enhanced metabolic rate, decreased adiposity, improved glucose tolerance, hypoinsulinemia and hypoleptinemia. KRAP−/− mice are also protected against high-fat diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance despite of hyperphagia. Notably, glucose uptake in the brown adipose tissue (BAT) in KRAP−/− mice is enhanced in an insulin-independent manner, suggesting that BAT is involved in altered energy homeostasis in KRAP−/− mice, although UCP (Uncoupling protein) expressions are not altered. Of interest is the down-regulation of fatty acid metabolism-related molecules, including acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC)-1, ACC-2 and fatty acid synthase in the liver of KRAP
−/− mice, which could in part account for the metabolic phenotype in KRAP−/− mice. Thus, KRAP is a novel regulator in whole-body energy homeostasis and may be a therapeutic target in obesity and related diseases. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
