Atf4 protects islet β-cell identity and function under acute glucose-induced stress but promotes β-cell failure in the presence of free fatty acid

What is it about?

Islet β-cells must put a lot of insulin into the bloodstream to prevent diabetes. This stressful process can exhaust β-cells, leading to diabetes. To avoid diabetes, these cells use a few molecules, including a protein called Atf4, to help them handle stress. Here, we show that Atf4 protects β-cells under high glucose. But paradoxically, it harms these cells in the presence of free fatty acids. These findings suggest that Atf4 could be a key inducer of diabetes in obese people, who have both high glucose and free fatty acids in their circulation.

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