IGF2 mRNA-binding protein 2: biological function and putative role in type 2 diabetes

Jan Christiansen; Astrid M Kolte; Thomas v O Hansen; Finn C Nielsen

doi:10.1677/JME-09-0016

Made available online as an Accepted Preprint 8 May 2009
Accepted Preprint first posted online on 8 May 2009

IGF2 mRNA-binding protein 2: biological function and putative role in type 2 diabetes

Departments of
¹Biology
²Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

(Correspondence should be addressed to F C Nielsen; Email: fcn{at}rh.dk)

Abstract

Recent genome-wide association (GWA) studies of type 2 diabetes (T2D) have implicated IGF2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IMP2/IGF2BP2) as one of the several factors in the etiology of late onset diabetes. IMP2 belongs to a family of oncofetal mRNA-binding proteins implicated in RNA localization, stability, and translation that are essential for normal embryonic growth and development. This review provides a background to the IMP protein family with an emphasis on human IMP2, followed by a closer look at the GWA studies to evaluate the significance, if any, of the proposed correlation between IMP2 and T2D.