in another study, researchers discovered that perinatal nutrient restriction resulting in intrauterine growth restriction (iugr) contributes to diabetes mellitus type 2 (dm2). iugr refers to the poor growth of the baby in utero. in the pancreas, iugr caused a reduction in the expression of the promoter of the gene encoding a critical transcription factor for beta cell function and development. pancreatic beta cells are responsible for making insulin; decreased beta cell activity is associated with dm2 in adulthood. in skeletal muscle, iugr caused a decrease in expression of the glut-4 gene. the glut-4 gene controls the production of the glut-4 transporter; this transporter is specifically sensitive to insulin. thus, when insulin levels rise, more glut-4 transporters are brought to the cell membrane to increase the uptake of glucose into the cell. this change is caused by histone modifications in the cells of skeletal muscle that decrease the effectiveness of the glucose transport system into the muscle. because the main glucose transporters are not operating at optimal capacity, these individuals are more likely to develop insulin resistance with energy rich diets later in life, contributing to dm2.