Yang, Haokun; Herring, Jacob; Elison, Weston; Wynn, Adam; Tessem, Jeffery (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Tessem, Jeffery (Brigham Young University; Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science)
Nearly 1 in 10 Americans have type 2 diabetes (T2D), a disease that is characterized by a loss of functional β-cell mass, resulting in decreased insulin secretion and glucose utilization. The pancreatic β-cell is responsible for producing and secreting insulin and monitoring blood glucose levels, and it is crucial to the understanding of T2D. The orphan nuclear receptor Nr4a3 (Nor1) has well-defined roles throughout the body, specifically with fuel utilization in the liver, muscle, and adipose tissues. Here we present data demonstrating that Nr4a3 KO mice have increased body weight, blood glucose levels (fasting and non-fasting), and impaired glucose tolerance when fed a standard diet. Respiration from adipose tissue is significantly impaired in male and female Nr4a3 KO animals. These data demonstrate that Nr4a3 is necessary for whole-body homeostasis. We believe that these data serve as a step toward understanding the pathway of T2D progression and finding a cure.