The transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT)/hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1β (ARNT/HIF1β) plays a key role in maintaining β-cell function and has been shown to be one of the most downregulated transcription factors in islets from patients with type 2 diabetes.
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT)/hypoxia inducible factor-1β (HIF-1β) has emerged as a potential determinant of pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and type 2 diabetes in humans.
These results demonstrate that a deficiency of ARNT action in the liver, coupled with that in beta cells, could contribute to the metabolic phenotype of human type 2 diabetes.
We hypothesized that common polymorphisms in the ARNT gene might increase the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes through impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.
ARNT expression is reduced in diabetic human islets and beta cell-specific ARNT knockout mice show the impaired glucose tolerance and abnormal insulin secretion that are characteristic of type 2 diabetes.