Paula Martínez, Gonzalo Gómez-López, Fernando García, Evi Mercken, Sarah Mitchell, Juana M Flores, Rafael de Cabo, Maria A Blasco
RAP1 is part of shelterin, the protective complex at telomeres. RAP1 also binds along chromosome arms, where it is proposed to regulate gene expression. To investigate the nontelomeric roles of RAP1 in vivo, we generated a RAP1 whole-body knockout mouse. These mice show early onset of obesity, which is more severe in females than in males. Rap1-deficient mice show accumulation of abdominal fat, hepatic steatosis, and high-fasting plasma levels of insulin, glucose, cholesterol, and alanine aminotransferase...
June 27, 2013: Cell Reports