Delineating the role of prohibitin in insulin signaling

身体通过从食物中制造葡萄糖来获取能量。为了使用这些葡萄糖，身体需要胰岛素。胰岛素是一种激素（体内的化学信使），由胰腺产生，帮助身体控制血液中的葡萄糖（糖）水平，确保身体的能量需求得到满足。胰岛素对身体的作用是由一个复杂的、高度整合的蛋白质网络介导的。在胰岛素存在的情况下，胰岛素受体（细胞表面的一种蛋白质，突出并附着在胰岛素上）启动胰岛素信号传导（生化反应序列），负责胰岛素在体内的作用。然而，潜在的机制仍有待了解。我们的研究重点是提高我们对胰岛素信号传导和作用的理解。我们发现一种叫做禁止素的蛋白质调节胰岛素信号传导，并与一些已知参与胰岛素信号传导的蛋白质相互作用。然而，禁止素在胰岛素信号传导中的作用机制尚不清楚。此外，我们发现禁止蛋白与铁结合。目前尚不清楚禁止素的铁结合功能是否与其胰岛素信号功能相互关联。在这项研究中，我们将剖析禁止素在胰岛素信号传导中作用的潜在机制。此外，我们将确定禁止蛋白的铁结合功能是否在此过程中发挥作用。这项研究将促进我们对胰岛素生理上必需的细胞信号网络的理解，并提供对禁止素的作用的见解。

The body gets energy by making glucose from foods. To use this glucose, the body needs insulin. Insulin is a hormone (chemical messenger in the body) which is produced from the pancreas that helps the body control the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood and ensures that the body's energy needs are met. Insulin's action on the body is mediated by a complex, highly integrated network of proteins. In the presence of insulin, the insulin receptor (a protein on the cell surface that juts out and latches onto insulin) initiate insulin signaling (sequence of biochemical reaction) which is responsible for insulin's actions in the body. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be understood. Our studies have focused on advancing our understanding of insulin signaling and action. We have found that a protein called prohibitin modulates insulin signaling and interacts with a number of proteins known to be involved in insulin signaling. However, the mechanism involved in the role of prohibitin in insulin signaling is not known. In addition, we have found that prohibitin binds to iron. It is not known whether iron binding function of prohibitin is interlinked with its insulin signaling function. In this study we will dissect the underlying mechanism involved in the role of prohibitin in insulin signaling. In addition we will determine whether iron binding function of prohibitin play a role in this process. This study will advance our understanding of a physiologically essential cell-signaling network of insulin in general and provide insight into the role of prohibitin in particular.