Insulin is the primary hormone involved in glucose homeostasis, and impairment of insulin action and/or secretion has a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. Type-II SH2-domain-containing inositol 5-phosphatase, or 'SHIP2', is a member of the inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase family. In vitro studies have shown that SHIP2, in response to stimulation by numerous growth factors and insulin, is closely linked to signalling events mediated by both phosphoinositide-3-OH kinase and Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase. Here we report the generation of mice lacking the SHIP2 gene. Loss of SHIP2 leads to increased sensitivity to insulin, which is characterized by severe neonatal hypoglycaemia, deregulated expression of the genes involved in gluconeogenesis, and perinatal death. Adult mice that are heterozygous for the SHIP2 mutation have increased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity associated with an increased recruitment of the GLUT4 glucose transporter and increased glycogen synthesis in skeletal muscles. Our results show that SHIP2 is a potent negative regulator of insulin signalling and insulin sensitivity in vivo.

1Genetic susceptibility to type 2 diabetes involves many genes, most of which are still unknown. The lipid phosphatase SHIP2 is a potent negative regulator of insulin signaling and sensitivity in vivo and is thus a good candidate gene. Here we report the presence of SHIP2 gene mutations associated with type 2 diabetes in rats and humans. The R1142C mutation specifically identified in Goto-Kakizaki (GK) and spontaneously hypertensive rat strains disrupts a potential class II ligand for Src homology (SH)-3 domain and slightly impairs insulin signaling in cell culture. In humans, a deletion identified in the SHIP2 3 untranslated region (UTR) of type 2 diabetic subjects includes a motif implicated in the control of protein synthesis. In cell culture, the deletion results in reporter messenger RNA and protein overexpression. Finally, genotyping of a cohort of type 2 diabetic and control subjects showed a significant association between the deletion and type 2 diabetes. Altogether, our results show that mutations in the SHIP2 gene contribute to the genetic susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in rats and humans. Diabetes 51: [2012][2013][2014][2015][2016][2017] 2002 R ecent data from knock-out mice (1) and in vitro studies (2-5) have identified type II SH2-domain-containing inositol 5-phosphatase, or "SHIP2," as a critical and essential negative regulator of insulin signaling and sensitivity. Indeed, decreased expression of SHIP2 and SHIP2 deficiency in mice leads to increased insulin sensitivity, whereas SHIP2 overexpression in various insulin-sensitive cell lines leads to decreased insulin signaling, i.e., insulin resistance. Given the importance of SHIP2 in the control of insulin sensitivity, we postulated that mutation(s) positively affecting SHIP2 activity, function, and/or expression might contribute to insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSLocalization of the SHIP2 gene on rat chromosomes. Fluorescent in situ hybridization and radiation hybrids mapping were performed as described (6). The following forward and reverse primers were used to amplify a 140-bp DNA fragment of the rat SHIP2 gene from hybrid DNA: 5Ј-CCAGGGGT GAAAGTTTTGAG-3Ј and 5Ј-CCTGACCCTGGGCCTAAAAG-3Ј. SHIP2 gene amplification and sequencing in humans and rats. Consent was obtained from all subjects after the nature of the procedure was explained, and the investigation was conducted according to the principles expressed in the Declaration of Helsinki. All diabetic subjects were Ͼ35 years of age at diagnosis and met the World Health Organization's criteria defining diabetes status. The control subjects were randomly and anonymously chosen in a DNA library isolated from a large population of women consulting for a genetic diagnosis of mutation in the CFTR gene. The SHIP2 cDNA and gene sequences were obtained after PCR amplification. The sequencing products were run on an Applied Biosystem sequencer. CHO-IR transfection, Akt/protein kinase B, and mitogen-activated protein kinase activities. CHO cells expressing...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of E-cadherin as a potential marker for the prognosis of thyroid carcinomas. In normal thyroid (n = 8), the expression of E-cadherin messenger ribonucleic acid levels was uniformly high and seemed to be restricted to thyrocytes. Steady-state messenger ribonucleic acid levels and immunostaining were both completely lost in undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas (n = 7) and were variably reduced in differentiated thyroid carcinomas (n = 44). In a follow-up study during a mean of 4.5 +/- 1.4 yr, E-cadherin messenger ribonucleic acid and immunohistochemical expression were compared with the initial clinicopathological parameters and with locoregional recurrence and the development of nodal or distant metastases in differentiated thyroid carcinomas. Immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin was greatly reduced with the progression to primary tumor stage 4 (pT4) tumors. In parallel, patients with pT4 tumors had a higher rate of locoregional tumor recurrence and distant metastasis than did the group of patients with pT1-3 tumors. In 5 of 29 patients with pT4 tumors, positive E-cadherin staining of more than 30% of the cells was detected. None of these patients showed signs of a regional recurrence or distant metastases during an observation period of 4.3 +/- 1.1 yr. In 13 patients with E-cadherin-positive tumors, none developed new distant metastases which was in contrast to 7 of the group of 31 patients with less than 30% E-cadherin-positive cells. Thus, E-cadherin expression seems to be associated with the dedifferentiation, progression, and metastatic spread of thyroid carcinomas and may be a useful marker for the prognosis of these tumors.

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