Translating into a bigger pancreas

Abstract

Physiology The messenger RNA translation factor eIF5A promotes cell proliferation during development and in tumors. This ability depends on eIF5A hypusination, a posttranslational modification specific to eIF5A. Levasseur et al. found that eIF5A hypusination was critical for postnatal expansion of pancreatic β cell mass. Mice that could not perform hypusination in β cells did not produce sufficient cyclin D2 to sustain cell cycling and developed diabetes in response to diet-induced obesity. Thus, eIF5A hypusination enables β cells to proliferate, which is required to increase insulin production and maintain glucose homeostasis. Sci. Signal. 12 , eaax0715 (2019).