2. Academic Validation
  3. Asprosin, a Fasting-Induced Glucogenic Protein Hormone

Asprosin, a Fasting-Induced Glucogenic Protein Hormone

  • Cell. 2016 Apr 21;165(3):566-79. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.02.063.
Chase Romere 1,  Clemens Duerrschmid 1,  Juan Bournat 1,  Petra Constable 1,  Mahim Jain 2,  Fan Xia 2,  Pradip K Saha 1,  Maria Del Solar 3,  Bokai Zhu 1,  Brian York 1,  Poonam Sarkar 4,  David A Rendon 4,  M Waleed Gaber 4,  Scott A LeMaire 5,  Joseph S Coselli 5,  Dianna M Milewicz 6,  V Reid Sutton 2,  Nancy F Butte 4,  David D Moore 1,  Atul R Chopra 7
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
  • 2 Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
  • 3 Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
  • 4 Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
  • 5 Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
  • 6 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
  • 7 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: chopra@bcm.edu.
PMID: 27087445 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.02.063
Abstract

Hepatic glucose release into the circulation is vital for brain function and survival during periods of fasting and is modulated by an array of Hormones that precisely regulate plasma glucose levels. We have identified a fasting-induced protein hormone that modulates hepatic glucose release. It is the C-terminal cleavage product of profibrillin, and we name it Asprosin. Asprosin is secreted by white adipose, circulates at nanomolar levels, and is recruited to the liver, where it activates the G protein-cAMP-PKA pathway, resulting in rapid glucose release into the circulation. Humans and mice with Insulin resistance show pathologically elevated plasma asprosin, and its loss of function via immunologic or genetic means has a profound glucose- and insulin-lowering effect secondary to reduced hepatic glucose release. Asprosin represents a glucogenic protein hormone, and therapeutically targeting it may be beneficial in type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

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