# GRASP55 Regulates Pancreatic Beta-cell Golgi Structure and Function During Cytokine Stress

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 2024 · $34,889

## Abstract

ABSTRACT.
Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) results from autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β-cells. Currently, no long-
term treatments have been successful in preventing disease, and β-cell contribution to early pathology is
poorly understood. Early defects in β-cell secretory function, such as mis-trafficking of secretory proteins, are
evident prior to symptomatic onset. These defects are suggested to play a role in early disease progression,
possibly by neoantigen formation, yet underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Our recent work
demonstrates that proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and
interferon-γ (IFN-γ), substantially disrupt β-cell Golgi structure and function, which may explain early defects in
β-cell secretory function. The purpose of this proposal is to investigate how cytokine exposure drives
alterations to Golgi structure, and the implications this has on Golgi functions. To this point, we demonstrate
treatment with a chemical NO donor can recapitulate altered β-cell Golgi structure and function. Our
preliminary data further demonstrates knockdown (KD) of GRASP55, a key Golgi structural protein, can
substantially block Golgi fragmentation during cytokine stress, which may be regulated via post-translational
modification. Our central hypothesis is that proinflammatory cytokines drive NO-dependent, GRASP55-
mediated Golgi remodeling, leading to dysfunctional protein sorting and glycosylation. We will test this
hypothesis through two aims. Aim 1) will investigate the role of iNOS and NO in altered Golgi structure and
cell-surface glycosylation through genetic and pharmacological models of iNOS inhibition, as well as flow
cytometry to measure cell surface glycosylation. Aim 2) will investigate PTM regulation of GRASP55 in
modulation of Golgi structure and improper secretion of CtsD through GRASP55 KD models and expression of
PTM-mutants in a GRASP55 knockout (KO) cell line. Pharmacological inhibition of Golgi export will also be
used to investigate how GRASP55-dependent Golgi remodeling drives improper CtsD secretion. This
proposed work will advance understanding of how proinflammatory cytokines affect β-cell Golgi structure and
function, providing novel insight to β-cell contributions to disease pathology early in T1D and potential targets
for new therapeutics.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10899906
- **Project number:** 1F31DK139619-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **Principal Investigator:** Sandra Blom
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $34,889
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-03-01 → 2027-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10899906

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10899906, GRASP55 Regulates Pancreatic Beta-cell Golgi Structure and Function During Cytokine Stress (1F31DK139619-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10899906. Licensed CC0.

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