Why expression of some genes is disallowed in β-cells

2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roel Quintens ◽  
Nico Hendrickx ◽  
Katleen Lemaire ◽  
Frans Schuit
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Release ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Housekeeping Genes ◽  
Cell Phenotype ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Β Cells ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
Atp Production ◽  
Β Cell Function

A differentiated β-cell results not only from cell-specific gene expression, but also from cell-selective repression of certain housekeeping genes. Indeed, to prevent insulin toxicity, β-cells should handle insulin stores carefully, preventing exocytosis under conditions when circulating insulin is unwanted. Some ubiquitously expressed proteins would significantly jeopardize this safeguard, when allowed to function in β-cells. This is illustrated by two studied examples. First, low-Km hexokinases are disallowed as their high affinity for glucose would, when expressed, significantly lower the threshold for glucose-induced β-cell function and cause hypoglycaemia, as happens in patients with β-cell tumours. Thus the β-cell phenotype means not only expression of glucokinase but also absence of low-Km hexokinases. Secondly, the absence of MCTs (monocarboxylic acid transporters) in β-cells explains the pyruvate paradox (pyruvate being an excellent substrate for mitochondrial ATP production, yet not stimulating insulin release when added to β-cells). The relevance of this disallowance is underlined in patients with exercise-induced inappropriate insulin release: these have gain-of-function MCT1 promoter mutations and loss of the pyruvate paradox. By genome-wide ex vivo mRNA expression studies using mouse islets and an extensive panel of other tissues, we have started to identify in a systematic manner other specifically disallowed genes. For each of those, the future challenge is to explore the physiological/pathological relevance and study conditions under which the phenotypically disallowed state in the β-cell is breached.

Life and death decisions of the pancreatic β-cell: the role of fatty acids

2006 ◽  
Vol 112 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Newsholme ◽  
Deirdre Keane ◽  
Hannah J. Welters ◽  
Noel G. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Insulin Release ◽  
Chronic Exposure ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Pancreatic Β Cell ◽  
Β Cells ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
Endogenous Fatty Acid ◽  
Gene And Protein Expression ◽  
Β Cell Function

Both stimulatory and detrimental effects of NEFAs (non-esterified fatty acids) on pancreatic β-cells have been recognized. Acute exposure of the pancreatic β-cell to high glucose concentrations and/or saturated NEFAs results in a substantial increase in insulin release, whereas chronic exposure results in desensitization and suppression of secretion, followed by induction of apoptosis. Some unsaturated NEFAs also promote insulin release acutely, but they are less toxic to β-cells during chronic exposure and can even exert positive protective effects. Therefore changes in the levels of NEFAs are likely to be important for the regulation of β-cell function and viability under physiological conditions. In addition, the switching between endogenous fatty acid synthesis or oxidation in the β-cell, together with alterations in neutral lipid accumulation, may have critical implications for β-cell function and integrity. Long-chain acyl-CoA (formed from either endogenously synthesized or exogenous fatty acids) controls several aspects of β-cell function, including activation of specific isoenzymes of PKC (protein kinase C), modulation of ion channels, protein acylation, ceramide formation and/or NO-mediated apoptosis, and transcription factor activity. In this review, we describe the effects of exogenous and endogenous fatty acids on β-cell metabolism and gene and protein expression, and have explored the outcomes with respect to insulin secretion and β-cell integrity.

scholarly journals Critical roles for the TSC-mTOR pathway in β-cell function

2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (5) ◽  
pp. E1013-E1022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Mori ◽  
Ken Inoki ◽  
Darren Opland ◽  
Heike Münzberg ◽  
Eneida C. Villanueva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glycemic Control ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Mammalian Target Of Rapamycin ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Cell Phenotype ◽  
Insulin Production ◽  
Β Cells ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
The Face ◽  
Β Cell Function

TSC1 is a tumor suppressor that associates with TSC2 to inactivate Rheb, thereby inhibiting signaling by the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1). mTORC1 stimulates cell growth by promoting anabolic cellular processes, such as translation, in response to growth factors and nutrient signals. To test roles for TSC1 and mTORC1 in β-cell function, we utilized Rip2/ Cre to generate mice lacking Tsc1 in pancreatic β-cells ( Rip-Tsc1cKO mice). Although obesity developed due to hypothalamic Tsc1 excision in older Rip-Tsc1cKO animals, young animals displayed a prominent gain-of-function β-cell phenotype prior to the onset of obesity. The young Rip-Tsc1cKO animals displayed improved glycemic control due to mTOR-mediated enhancement of β-cell size, mass, and insulin production but not determinants of β-cell number (proliferation and apoptosis), consistent with an important anabolic role for mTOR in β-cell function. Furthermore, mTOR mediated these effects in the face of impaired Akt signaling in β-cells. Thus, mTOR promulgates a dominant signal to promote β-cell/islet size and insulin production, and this pathway is crucial for β-cell function and glycemic control.

scholarly journals Effects of the novel mitochondrial protein mimitin in insulin-secreting cells

2012 ◽  
Vol 445 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Hanzelka ◽  
Lukasz Skalniak ◽  
Jolanta Jura ◽  
Sigurd Lenzen ◽  
Ewa Gurgul-Convey
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Secretion ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Mitochondrial Protein ◽  
Atp Synthesis ◽  
Nuclear Factor Κb ◽  
Β Cells ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
Atp Production ◽  
Β Cell Function ◽  
The Impact

Mimitin, a novel mitochondrial protein, has been shown to act as a molecular chaperone for the mitochondrial complex I and to regulate ATP synthesis. During Type 1 diabetes development, pro-inflammatory cytokines induce mitochondrial damage in pancreatic β-cells, inhibit ATP synthesis and reduce glucose-induced insulin secretion. Mimitin was expressed in rat pancreatic islets including β-cells and decreased by cytokines. In the ob/ob mouse, a model of insulin resistance and obesity, mimitin expression was down-regulated in liver and brain, up-regulated in heart and kidney, but not affected in islets. To further analyse the impact of mimitin on β-cell function, two β-cell lines, one with a low (INS1E) and another with a higher (MIN6) mimitin expression were studied. Mimitin overexpression protected INS1E cells against cytokine-induced caspase 3 activation, mitochondrial membrane potential reduction and ATP production inhibition, independently from the NF-κB (nuclear factor κB)–iNOS (inducible NO synthase) pathway. Mimitin overexpression increased basal and glucose-induced insulin secretion and prevented cytokine-mediated suppression of insulin secretion. Mimitin knockdown in MIN6 cells had opposite effects to those observed after overexpression. Thus mimitin has the capacity to modulate pancreatic islet function and to reduce cytokine toxicity.

scholarly journals Rapamycin impairs metabolism-secretion coupling in rat pancreatic islets by suppressing carbohydrate metabolism

2009 ◽  
Vol 204 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Makiko Shimodahira ◽  
Shimpei Fujimoto ◽  
Eri Mukai ◽  
Yasuhiko Nakamura ◽  
Yuichi Nishi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Islets ◽  
Carbohydrate Metabolism ◽  
Insulin Release ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Mitochondrial Protein ◽  
Krebs Cycle ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
Atp Production ◽  
Dna Contents ◽  
Β Cell Function

Rapamycin, an immunosuppressant used in human transplantation, impairs β-cell function, but the mechanism is unclear. Chronic (24 h) exposure to rapamycin concentration dependently suppressed 16.7 mM glucose-induced insulin release from islets (1.65±0.06, 30 nM rapamycin versus 2.35±0.11 ng/islet per 30 min, control, n=30, P<0.01) without affecting insulin and DNA contents. Rapamycin also decreased α-ketoisocaproate-induced insulin release, suggesting reduced mitochondrial carbohydrate metabolism. ATP content in the presence of 16.7 mM glucose was significantly reduced in rapamycin-treated islets (13.42±0.47, rapamycin versus 16.04±0.46 pmol/islet, control, n=30, P<0.01). Glucose oxidation, which indicates the velocity of metabolism in the Krebs cycle, was decreased by rapamycin in the presence of 16.7 mM glucose (30.1±2.7, rapamycin versus 42.2±3.3 pmol/islet per 90 min, control, n=9, P<0.01). Immunoblotting revealed that the expression of complex I, III, IV, and V was not affected by rapamycin. Mitochondrial ATP production indicated that the respiratory chain downstream of complex II was not affected, but that carbohydrate metabolism in the Krebs cycle was reduced by rapamycin. Analysis of enzymes in the Krebs cycle revealed that activity of α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGDH), which catalyzes one of the slowest reactions in the Krebs cycle, was reduced by rapamycin (10.08±0.82, rapamycin versus 13.82±0.84 nmol/mg mitochondrial protein per min, control, n=5, P<0.01). Considered together, these findings indicate that rapamycin suppresses high glucose-induced insulin secretion from pancreatic islets by reducing mitochondrial ATP production through suppression of carbohydrate metabolism in the Krebs cycle, together with reduced KGDH activity.

scholarly journals Pericytes contribute to the islet basement membranes to promote beta-cell gene expression

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Sakhneny ◽  
Alona Epshtein ◽  
Limor Landsman
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Basement Membranes ◽  
Cell Physiology ◽  
Β Cells ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
Cell Clustering ◽  
Β Cell Function ◽  
Cell Gene Expression ◽  
Glucose Stimulated Insulin Secretion

Abstractβ-Cells depend on the islet basement membrane (BM). While some islet BM components are produced by endothelial cells (ECs), the source of others remains unknown. Pancreatic pericytes directly support β-cells through mostly unidentified secreted factors. Thus, we hypothesized that pericytes regulate β-cells through the production of BM components. Here, we show that pericytes produce multiple components of the mouse pancreatic and islet interstitial and BM matrices. Several of the pericyte-produced ECM components were previously implicated in β-cell physiology, including collagen IV, laminins, proteoglycans, fibronectin, nidogen, and hyaluronan. Compared to ECs, pancreatic pericytes produce significantly higher levels of α2 and α4 laminin chains, which constitute the peri-islet and vascular BM. We further found that the pericytic laminin isoforms differentially regulate mouse β-cells. Whereas α2 laminins promoted islet cell clustering, they did not affect gene expression. In contrast, culturing on Laminin-421 induced the expression of β-cell genes, including Ins1, MafA, and Glut2, and significantly improved glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Thus, alongside ECs, pericytes are a significant source of the islet BM, which is essential for proper β-cell function.

Effects of glucose and d-3-hydroxybutyrate on human pancreatic islet cell function

1985 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 567-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Rhodes ◽  
I. L. Campbell ◽  
T. M. Szopa ◽  
T. J. Biden ◽  
P. D. Reynolds ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Release ◽  
Human Tissue ◽  
Islet Cell ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Human Islets ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
Pancreatic Islet Cell ◽  
Sigmoidal Curve ◽  
Β Cell Function ◽  
Islet Cell Function

1. β-Cell function in human islets derived from a number of kidney donors was investigated by using various types of islet preparations. 2. With fresh islets, both insulin release and biosynthesis were increased by raising glucose concentrations, although the response was a variable one. 3. In fresh islets, the effects of 5 mmol of glucose/l on release were potentiated by 10 mmol of d-3-hydroxybutyrate/l. 4. Insulin release at 20 mmol of glucose/l was inhibited by adrenaline (0.1 mmol/l), and potentiated by theophylline (10 mmol/l) in the presence of 5 mmol of glucose/l, in islets cultured for 4 days. 5. After culture for 8 days, islets still showed an increase in insulin release and biosynthesis in response to glucose. 6. Pancreas slices derived from fresh human tissue also responded to increasing concentrations of glucose with a sigmoidal curve for insulin release.

scholarly journals Herbal Medicines Targeting the Improved β-Cell Functions and β-Cell Regeneration for the Management of Diabetes Mellitus

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Akurange Sujeevi Dammadinna Wickramasinghe ◽  
Pabasara Kalansuriya ◽  
Anoja Priyadarshani Attanayake
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Cell Regeneration ◽  
Model Assessment ◽  
Β Cells ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Glucose Transporter 2 ◽  
Β Cell Function

There is an increasing trend of investigating natural bioactive compounds targeting pancreatic β-cells for the prevention/treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). With the exploration of multiple mechanisms by which β-cells involve in the pathogenesis of DM, herbal medicines are gaining attention due to their multitasking ability as evidenced by traditional medicine practices. This review attempts to summarize herbal medicines with the potential for improvement of β-cell functions and regeneration as scientifically proven by in vivo/in vitro investigations. Furthermore, attempts have been made to identify the mechanisms of improving the function and regeneration of β-cells by herbal medicines. Relevant data published from January 2009 to March 2020 were collected by searching electronic databases “PubMed,” “ScienceDirect,” and “Google Scholar” and studied for this review. Single herbal extracts, polyherbal mixtures, and isolated compounds derived from approximately 110 medicinal plants belonging to 51 different plant families had been investigated in recent years and found to be targeting β-cells. Many herbal medicines showed improvement of β-cell function as observed through homeostatic model assessment-β-cell function (HOMA-β). Pancreatic β-cell regeneration as observed in histopathological and immunohistochemical studies in terms of increase of size and number of functional β-cells was also prominent. Increasing β-cell mass via expression of genes/proteins related to antiapoptotic actions and β-cell neogenesis/proliferation, increasing glucose-stimulated insulin secretion via activating glucose transporter-2 (GLUT-2) receptors, and/or increasing intracellular Ca2+ levels were observed upon treatment of some herbal medicines. Some herbal medicines acted on various insulin signaling pathways. Furthermore, many herbal medicines showed protective effects on β-cells via reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation. However, there are many unexplored avenues. Thus, further investigations are warranted in elucidating mechanisms of improving β-cell function and mass by herbal medicines, their structure-activity relationship (SAR), and toxicities of these herbal medicines.

scholarly journals β-Cell Pathophysiology: A Review of Advanced Optical Microscopy Applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (23) ◽  
pp. 12820
Author(s):  
Gianmarco Ferri ◽  
Luca Pesce ◽  
Marta Tesi ◽  
Piero Marchetti ◽  
Francesco Cardarelli
Keyword(s):  
Optical Microscopy ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Infrared Range ◽  
Label Free ◽  
Β Cells ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
Excitation Light ◽  
Β Cell Function ◽  
Proper Resolution

β-cells convert glucose (input) resulting in the controlled release of insulin (output), which in turn has the role to maintain glucose homeostasis. β-cell function is regulated by a complex interplay between the metabolic processing of the input, its transformation into second-messenger signals, and final mobilization of insulin-containing granules towards secretion of the output. Failure at any level in this process marks β-cell dysfunction in diabetes, thus making β-cells obvious potential targets for therapeutic purposes. Addressing quantitatively β-cell (dys)function at the molecular level in living samples requires probing simultaneously the spatial and temporal dimensions at the proper resolution. To this aim, an increasing amount of research efforts are exploiting the potentiality of biophysical techniques. In particular, using excitation light in the visible/infrared range, a number of optical-microscopy-based approaches have been tailored to the study of β-cell-(dys)function at the molecular level, either in label-free mode (i.e., exploiting intrinsic autofluorescence of cells) or by the use of organic/genetically-encoded fluorescent probes. Here, relevant examples from the literature are reviewed and discussed. Based on this, new potential lines of development in the field are drawn.

scholarly journals Lipotoxicity and β-Cell Failure in Type 2 Diabetes: Oxidative Stress Linked to NADPH Oxidase and ER Stress

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 3328
Author(s):  
Eloisa Aparecida Vilas-Boas ◽  
Davidson Correa Almeida ◽  
Leticia Prates Roma ◽  
Fernanda Ortis ◽  
Angelo Rafael Carpinelli
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Nadph Oxidase ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Caloric Intake ◽  
Β Cells ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
Β Cell Function

A high caloric intake, rich in saturated fats, greatly contributes to the development of obesity, which is the leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D). A persistent caloric surplus increases plasma levels of fatty acids (FAs), especially saturated ones, which were shown to negatively impact pancreatic β-cell function and survival in a process called lipotoxicity. Lipotoxicity in β-cells activates different stress pathways, culminating in β-cells dysfunction and death. Among all stresses, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress have been shown to be strongly correlated. One main source of oxidative stress in pancreatic β-cells appears to be the reactive oxygen species producer NADPH oxidase (NOX) enzyme, which has a role in the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and in the β-cell demise during both T1 and T2D. In this review, we focus on the acute and chronic effects of FAs and the lipotoxicity-induced β-cell failure during T2D development, with special emphasis on the oxidative stress induced by NOX, the ER stress, and the crosstalk between NOX and ER stress.

scholarly journals VEGF-B ablation in pancreatic β-cells upregulates insulin expression without affecting glucose homeostasis or islet lipid uptake

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Chenfei Ning ◽  
Nina Jensen ◽  
Jiarui Mi ◽  
William Lindström ◽  
Mirela Balan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Islet ◽  
Glucose Homeostasis ◽  
Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Lipid Uptake ◽  
Β Cells ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
Peripheral Tissues ◽  
Β Cell Function ◽  
Triglyceride Content

AbstractType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects millions of people and is linked with obesity and lipid accumulation in peripheral tissues. Increased lipid handling and lipotoxicity in insulin producing β-cells may contribute to β-cell dysfunction in T2DM. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-B regulates uptake and transcytosis of long-chain fatty acids over the endothelium to tissues such as heart and skeletal muscle. Systemic inhibition of VEGF-B signaling prevents tissue lipid accumulation, improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, as well as reduces pancreatic islet triglyceride content, under T2DM conditions. To date, the role of local VEGF-B signaling in pancreatic islet physiology and in the regulation of fatty acid trans-endothelial transport in pancreatic islet is unknown. To address these questions, we have generated a mouse strain where VEGF-B is selectively depleted in β-cells, and assessed glucose homeostasis, β-cell function and islet lipid content under both normal and high-fat diet feeding conditions. We found that Vegfb was ubiquitously expressed throughout the pancreas, and that β-cell Vegfb deletion resulted in increased insulin gene expression. However, glucose homeostasis and islet lipid uptake remained unaffected by β-cell VEGF-B deficiency.

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