Keratins as Mediators of Glucose Sensing in the Pancreas

The study investigates the relationship between keratin intermediate filaments and glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) in mouse pancreatic β-cells, focusing on how keratins affect GLUT2's membrane localization. Using Murine Insulinoma 6 (Min6) cells, researchers transfected cells with wild type and mutated keratin plasmids to observe changes in GLUT2 localization. Results showed that cells with intact keratins had more membranous GLUT2, while those with disrupted keratin filaments had more cytoplasmic GLUT2. However, in K18 knockout mice, the absence of K18 did not significantly impact GLUT2 localization. The study provides new insights into keratin-GLUT2 interactions and developed a STED imaging protocol for future research.