Mechanistic insights into the role of Synaptogyrin-2 in regulating the insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT4

Type-2 diabetes is characterised by insulin-resistance of fat and muscle. This means that patients fail to clear glucose from their bloodstream in response to insulin. The main mechanism by which insulin clears glucose from the bloodstream is by moving glucose transporters (GLUT4) from internal stores to the cell surface, allowing glucose to enter. This process is defective in patients with Type-2 diabetes but we do not understand how GLUT4 is stored within the cell. We identified Synaptogyrin-2 (SYNGR-2; aka Cellugyrin) as a regulator of intracellular membranes and have shown that SYNGR-2 defines a specific population of internal GLUT4 membranes1. We are now poised to investigate further the role of SYNGR-2 in regulating GLUT4 and have identified a set of experiments to provide a foundation for mechanistic studies into SYNGR-2 function in GLUT4 biology; knowledge that will arm us in the battle against the global epidemic of Type-2 diabetes.