Involvement of the inorganic phosphate transporter Pit1 in insulin signaling and metabolism
PiT1, initially identified as retrovirus receptor, is a transmembrane protein of the sodium-phosphate co-transporter family. PiT1 also has independent functions of its role as a phosphate transporter, notably on cell proliferation, adhesion or apoptosis. These observations suggest that interactions of PiT1 with other molecular partners may impact not only the homeostasis of inorganic phosphate, but also major biological functions. Thus, mice specifically invalidated for PiT1 in hepatocytes show a defect in weight gain over time compared to wild mice. Prof. Friedlander's lab has also shown that Moreover, PiT1-deficient mice were protected against high-fat-diet-induced obesity and diabetes.
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