Protein FAM3C, also known as interleukin-like EMT inducer (ILEI), participates in the formation of TGF-beta1-induced renal tubular epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and has been linked to EMT in some diseases []. It is a hepatokine that suppresses hepatic gluconeogenic gene expression and insulin-independent gluconeogenesis by activating the HSF1-CaM-Akt pathway. It activates transcriptor heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) to induce CALM1 gene expression and increase calmodulin (CaM) protein level. An increase in CaM protein level suppresses glucose production by inducing Akt activation [, ].
The secreted factor FAM3C or ILEI (InterLeukin-like Emt Inducer) has been identifed as a protein involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and in processes associated with metastasis formation and the progression of cancer. The protein had initially been predicted to be a member of the four-helical cytokine family, hence the FAM3C designation. ILEI has been found to be widely expressed, and to be involved in retinal development [, , ].
Family with sequence similarity 3 (FAM3) members are designated as FAM3A, FAM3B, FAM3C and FAM3D. Thereis increasing evidence that FAM3A, FAM3B and FAM3C are important regulators of glucose and lipid metabolism, which makes this family a promising therapeutical target for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes [].
