Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Researchers have determined the complete three-dimensional structure of a protein called HNF-4α. HNF-4α controls gene expression in the liver and pancreas, switching genes on or off as needed. People with mature onset diabetes of the young (MODY1), a rare form of the disease, have inherited mutations in the HNF-4α protein. This first-ever look at HNF-4α's full structure, published today in Nature, uncovers new information about how it functions. The study also reveals new pockets in the protein that could be targeted with therapeutic drugs aimed at alleviating MODY1.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313142602.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313142602.htm