Diabetes in transgenic mice resulting from over-expression of class I histocompatibility molecules in pancreatic β cells

Abstract

A class I histocompatibility gene, H-2Kb, linked to the rat insulin promoter, is overexpressed in the pancreatic β cells of transgenic mice. The mice, whether syngeneic or allogeneic to the transgene, develop insulin dependent diabetes without detectable T cell infiltration, suggesting a direct, non-immune role for the transgenic class I molecules in the disease process. © 1988 Nature Publishing Group.