Scientists have discovered an unknown mechanism of sugar regulation in the body

Scientists at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) have discovered a previously unknown mechanism of sugar regulation in the human body that can become the basis for fundamentally new treatments for diabetes, heart disease and rare hereditary disorders. This was reported to the Medical Xpress magazine on April 24.

Glycogen accumulation underlies a number of diseases: glycogen storage diseases (a group of rare hereditary disorders that often have no treatment options), as well as diabetes, obesity, liver and heart diseases. Until now, there have been no therapies that can directly affect the glycogen molecule.

"We have discovered a second way in which glycogen can be directly regulated, probably on demand. This is an exciting breakthrough for people suffering from diseases caused by excessive accumulation of glycogen," said co-director of the study, Professor David Team.

When the body receives sugar with food, its excess is converted into glycogen and stored primarily in the liver and muscles. This process has been studied for centuries and has been considered fully described. The authors of the new work have shown that ubiquitin, a protein known for its role in labeling damaged proteins for their disposal, is also able to attach to sugars, including glycogen. This discovery has been confirmed in animal models and in human cells.

A hard life: parents of children with diabetes ask to be allowed to connect to Wi-Fi in schools

Ensuring uninterrupted Internet access is a vital necessity

During the experiments, the researchers observed how ubiquitin binds to glycogen in the liver of mice, depending on whether the animals were fed or starved: during starvation, the number of ubiquitin tags increased as glycogen stores were depleted, indicating its role in regulating sugar breakdown.

In addition, artificial enhancement of ubiquitination reduced the level of glycogen in the cells. According to the first author of the work, graduate student Marco Yochem, the method also made it possible for the first time to detect the ubiquitination of other metabolites — glycerol and spermine.

Earlier, on January 17, Medical Xpress magazine reported that diabetes remains one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, while it often develops asymptomatically in its early stages. The lack of timely diagnosis increases the risk of serious complications, while scientists know the key signs that may indicate the onset of the disease.