Proteomic pathways to metabolic disease and type 2 diabetes in the pancreatic islet

Pancreatic islets are essential for maintaining physiological blood glucose levels, and declining islet function is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. Here we employ mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics to systematically analyse purified islets from 9 genetic or diet-induced mouse models representing a broad cross-section of metabolic health. Quantifying the islet proteome to a depth of >11,500 proteins, this study represents the most detailed analysis of islet proteins to date. Our data highlight that the vast majority of islet proteins are expressed in all strains and diets, but more than half of the proteins vary in expression levels. Associating these varied protein expression levels on an individual animal basis with individual phenotypic measures reveals islet mitochondrial function as a major positive indicator of metabolic health. This compendium of strain-specific and dietary changes to mouse islet proteomes represents a comprehensive resource for basic and translational islet cell biology.