Distribution of Protein CHC22 Clathrin

This colorful series of images shows the distribution of a protein called CHC22 clathrin in human muscle cells. A recent study from Frances Brodsky's laboratory at the University of California, San Francisco, found that CHC22 plays a key role in forming cellular compartments in muscle and fat that accumulate glucose transporters, to mobilize them for release in response to insulin. This process clears glucose from the bloodstream to control blood sugar levels after a meal. The CHC22 protein represents a human variation of this pathway that is not present in mice. Studying CHC22 in more detail could help researchers better understand what goes wrong on a cellular level in type 2 diabetes. [Reference: Vassilopoulos et al (2009) Science 324:1192] (Date of Image: 2009)

Credit: ©Stephane Vassilopoulos and Frances Brodsky, University of California, San Francisco