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Title:   Author  item
                                            Huang, Liping
  Submitted to: Vitamins and Hormones
                                    Publication Type: Book / Chapter
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2013
                                    Publication  Date: 4/4/2014
                                    Citation: Huang, L. 2014. Zinc and its transporters, pancreatic beta cells, and insulin metabolism. In: Litwack, G. editor. Vitamins and Hormones. Atlanta, GA: Elsevier. p.365-390.Interpretive Summary: Zinc is an essential trace metal for life. Zinc balance in a given cell is largely maintained by two families of zinc transporters, namely SLC30 (ZnT) and SLC39 (ZIP). ZnT proteins work to reduce cytoplasmic (a liquid portion of the cell) zinc contents whereas ZIP proteins do the opposite. Expression of zinc transporters present in both tissue/cell-type specific and ubiquitous manners. Those restrictedly expressed zinc transporters usually perform specialized tasks to satisfy biological processes in a given cell. For example, ZnT8 is mainly expressed in beta cells (the cell that synthesizes and secretes insulin after a meal to reduce blood sugar) and functions to deliver zinc into granules for insulin maturation and secretion. Many other zinc transporters are also expressed in beta cells. Defects in these zinc transporters have been associated with abnormalities in insulin synthesis, maturation, and secretion and subsequent glucose metabolism. This review is focused on the specific roles of zinc and its transporters in insulin metabolism and describes the current knowledge of the function of zinc transporters in beta cell health in animal knockout mouse models with respect to diabetes development in humans.
                                Technical Abstract: Zinc is an essential trace metal for life. Two families of zinc transporters, SLC30A (ZnT) and SLC39A (ZIP) are required for maintaining cellular zinc homeostasis. ZnTs function to decrease cytoplasmic zinc concentrations whereas ZIPs do the opposite. Expression of zinc transporters can be tissue/cell-type specific or ubiquitous. Zinc transporters that are limited in tissue/cell distribution usually perform specialized tasks to satisfy biological processes in a given cell. For example, ZnT8 is mainly expressed in beta cells and functions to deliver zinc into granules for insulin maturation and secretion. Many other zinc transporters are also expressed in beta cells. Defects in these zinc transporters have been associated with abnormalities in insulin synthesis, maturation, and secretion and subsequent glucose metabolism. This review is focused on the specific roles of zinc and its transporters in insulin metabolism and describes the current knowledge of the function of zinc transporters in beta cell health in animal knockout mouse models with respect to diabetes development in humans.


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