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A KCNK16 mutation causing TALK-1 gain of function is associated with maturity-onset diabetes of the young
Sarah M. Graff, Stephanie R. Johnson, Paul J. Leo, Prasanna K. Dadi, Matthew T. Dickerson, Arya Y. Nakhe, Aideen M. McInerney-Leo, Mhairi Marshall, Karolina E. Zaborska, Charles M. Schaub, Matthew A. Brown, David A. Jacobson, Emma L. Duncan
Sarah M. Graff, Stephanie R. Johnson, Paul J. Leo, Prasanna K. Dadi, Matthew T. Dickerson, Arya Y. Nakhe, Aideen M. McInerney-Leo, Mhairi Marshall, Karolina E. Zaborska, Charles M. Schaub, Matthew A. Brown, David A. Jacobson, Emma L. Duncan
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Research Article Endocrinology Genetics

A KCNK16 mutation causing TALK-1 gain of function is associated with maturity-onset diabetes of the young

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Abstract

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a heterogeneous group of monogenic disorders of impaired pancreatic β cell function. The mechanisms underlying MODY include β cell KATP channel dysfunction (e.g., KCNJ11 [MODY13] or ABCC8 [MODY12] mutations); however, no other β cell channelopathies have been associated with MODY to date. Here, we have identified a nonsynonymous coding variant in KCNK16 (NM_001135105: c.341T>C, p.Leu114Pro) segregating with MODY. KCNK16 is the most abundant and β cell–restricted K+ channel transcript, encoding the two-pore-domain K+ channel TALK-1. Whole-cell K+ currents demonstrated a large gain of function with TALK-1 Leu114Pro compared with TALK-1 WT, due to greater single-channel activity. Glucose-stimulated membrane potential depolarization and Ca2+ influx were inhibited in mouse islets expressing TALK-1 Leu114Pro with less endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ storage. TALK-1 Leu114Pro significantly blunted glucose-stimulated insulin secretion compared with TALK-1 WT in mouse and human islets. These data suggest that KCNK16 is a previously unreported gene for MODY.

Authors

Sarah M. Graff, Stephanie R. Johnson, Paul J. Leo, Prasanna K. Dadi, Matthew T. Dickerson, Arya Y. Nakhe, Aideen M. McInerney-Leo, Mhairi Marshall, Karolina E. Zaborska, Charles M. Schaub, Matthew A. Brown, David A. Jacobson, Emma L. Duncan

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Figure 1

A KCNK16 mutation cosegregates with MODY in a 4-generation family and is predicted to affect the K+ selectivity channel of TALK-1.

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A KCNK16 mutation cosegregates with MODY in a 4-generation family and is...
(A) Family pedigree (asterisks indicate individuals undergoing exome sequencing; black shapes indicate individuals with diabetes; arrow indicates proband), (B) with chromatogram of KCNK16 variant (c.341T>C) (red arrow indicates variant). (C) Location of the predicted protein change (p.Leu114Pro), within the first pore domain and K+ selectivity channel of TALK-1, (D) with alignment of pore helix 1 and filter 1 amino acid sequences of KCNK16 with other KCNK channels (mutation position indicated in red; selectivity filter indicated in purple). (E) Predicted conformational shifts (indicated by the arrows) in the K+ selectivity filter, modeled using TREK2 crystalline structure.

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