The role of Nrf2 in pancreatic beta-cells; a study of new pancreatic beta-cell specific Nrf2 activation model mice

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26893008
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Pathological medical chemistry
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Yoko Yagishita 東北大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 産学官連携研究員 (50733838)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): URUNO Akira 東北大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 講師 (90396474) ; YAMAMOTO Masayuki 東北大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 教授 (50166823)
• Research Collaborator: NAGANUMA Eriko 東北大学, 大学院医学系研究科 ; DATE Fumiko 東北大学, 大学院医学系研究科
• Project Period (FY): 2014-08-29 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: Nrf2 / 膵β細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A transcription factor Nrf2 plays critical roles in the response to oxidative and electrophilic stresses. To clarify the role of Nrf2 in pancreatic β-cells, we generated new pancreatic β-cell-specific Nrf2 activation model mice. Rat insulin promoter (RIP) has been utilized to generate Cre recombinase expressing transgenic mice for Cre-loxP-mediated conditional knockout mice in pancreatic β-cells; however, several lines of RIP-Cre mice were reported to display ectopic expression of Cre recombinase. We newly established Nrf2 activation model mice by using Cre expressing transgenic mice mediated by bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) including mouse Ins1 gene. This new established mouse line displayed pancreatic β-cell-specific expression of Cre recombinase, and successfully demonstrated that Nrf2 protects pancreatic β-cells against streptozotocin-induced cell damages.

Free Research Field

生化学