Communications Biology (Mar 2021)

Vitamin B6 deficiency disrupts serotonin signaling in pancreatic islets and induces gestational diabetes in mice

  • Ashley M. Fields,
  • Kevin Welle,
  • Elaine S. Ho,
  • Clementina Mesaros,
  • Martha Susiarjo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-01900-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Fields et al. investigate the impact of vitamin B6 deficiency on islet β-cell proliferation during pregnancy, using vitamin B6-deficient mice. They find that gestational vitamin B6 deficiency decreases serotonin levels in pancreatic islets and reduces β-cell proliferation, showing that vitamin B6 deficiency regulates maternal glucose tolerance in a serotonin-dependent manner.