Redox control of exocytosis: regulatory role of NADPH, thioredoxin, and glutaredoxin

Control of voltage-gated potassium channel Kv2.2 expression by pyruvate-isocitrate cycling regulates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion

Recent studies have shown that the pyruvate-isocitrate cycling pathway, involving the mitochondrial citrate/isocitrate carrier and the cytosolic NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDc), is involved in control of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Here we demonstrate that pyruvate-isocitrate cycling regulates expression of the voltage-gated potassium channel family member Kv2.2 in islet β-cells. siRNA-mediated suppression of ICDc, citrate/isocitrate carrier, or Kv2.2 expression impaired GSIS, and the effect of ICDc knockdown was rescued by re-expression of Kv2.2. Moreover, chronic exposure of β-cells to elevated fatty acids, which impairs GSIS, resulted in decreased expression of Kv2.2. Surprisingly, knockdown of ICDc or Kv2.2 increased rather than decreased outward K(+) current in the 832/13 β-cell line. Immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated interaction of Kv2.1 and Kv2.2, and co-overexpression of the two channels reduced outward K(+) current compared with overexpression of Kv2.1 alone. Also, siRNA-mediated knockdown of ICDc enhanced the suppressive effect of the Kv2.1-selective inhibitor stromatoxin1 on K(+) currents. Our data support a model in which a key function of the pyruvate-isocitrate cycle is to maintain levels of Kv2.2 expression sufficient to allow it to serve as a negative regulator of Kv channel activity.

NADPH oxidase inhibition prevents beta cell dysfunction induced by prolonged elevation of oleate in rodents

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

The activation of NADPH oxidase has been implicated in NEFA-induced beta cell dysfunction. However, the causal role of this activation in vivo remains unclear. Here, using rodents, we investigated whether pharmacological or genetic inhibition of NADPH oxidase could prevent NEFA-induced beta cell dysfunction in vivo.

METHODS

Normal rats were infused for 48 h with saline or oleate with or without the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin. In addition, NADPH oxidase subunit p47(phox)-null mice and wild-type littermate controls were infused with saline or oleate for 48 h. This was followed by measurement of NADPH oxidase activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide imaging and assessment of beta cell function in isolated islets and hyperglycaemic clamps.

RESULTS

Oleate infusion in rats increased NADPH oxidase activity, consistent with increased total but not mitochondrial superoxide in islets and impaired beta cell function in isolated islets and during hyperglycaemic clamps. Co-infusion of apocynin with oleate normalised NADPH oxidase activity and total superoxide levels and prevented beta cell dysfunction. Similarly, 48 h NEFA elevation in wild-type mice increased total but not mitochondrial superoxide and impaired beta cell function in isolated islets. p47(phox)-null mice were protected against these effects when subjected to 48 h oleate infusion. Finally, oleate increased the levels of total ROS, in both models, whereas inhibition of NADPH oxidase prevented this increase, suggesting that NADPH oxidase is the main source of ROS in this model.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

These data show that NADPH-oxidase-derived cytosolic superoxide is increased in islets upon oleate infusion in vivo; and whole-body NADPH-oxidase inhibition decreases superoxide in concert with restoration of islet function.

CaIPF19998 reduces drug susceptibility by enhancing the ability of biofilm formation and regulating redox homeostasis in Candida albicans

CaIPF19998, a functionally unknown gene in Candida albicans, was identified by its homology to Saccharomyces cerevisiae AIF1 gene, which is involved in cell apoptosis. In this study, ipf19998 null mutant was generated with the URA-blaster method and the construction of overexpression of CaIPF19998 was measured by quantitative RT-PCR. Minimal inhibitory concentrations determination showed that the ipf19998 overexpressed strains was more resistant to the antifungals tested than the wildtype (strain CAI4). The 2,3-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfo-phenyl)-2Htetrazolium-5-carboxanilide reduction assay showed that CaIPF19998 could enhance the capacity of C. albicans biofilms formation. On Candida biofilms mode, intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species were significantly decreased and real-time RT-PCR showed that some important redox-related genes, including ALD5, CIT1, PIL1, AHP1, TRX1 and TSA1, were up-regulated in the CaIPF19998 overexpressed strains. These results demonstrate that CaIPF19998 played an important role in C. albicans biofilms formation and intracellular redox homeostasis, therefore led to a close relationship between CaIPF19998 and drug susceptibility in C. albicans.

Regulation of ion channels by pyridine nucleotides

Recent research suggests that in addition to their role as soluble electron carriers, pyridine nucleotides [NAD(P)(H)] also regulate ion transport mechanisms. This mode of regulation seems to have been conserved through evolution. Several bacterial ion-transporting proteins or their auxiliary subunits possess nucleotide-binding domains. In eukaryotes, the Kv1 and Kv4 channels interact with pyridine nucleotide-binding β-subunits that belong to the aldo-keto reductase superfamily. Binding of NADP(+) to Kvβ removes N-type inactivation of Kv currents, whereas NADPH stabilizes channel inactivation. Pyridine nucleotides also regulate Slo channels by interacting with their cytosolic regulator of potassium conductance domains that show high sequence homology to the bacterial TrkA family of K(+) transporters. These nucleotides also have been shown to modify the activity of the plasma membrane K(ATP) channels, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, the transient receptor potential M2 channel, and the intracellular ryanodine receptor calcium release channels. In addition, pyridine nucleotides also modulate the voltage-gated sodium channel by supporting the activity of its ancillary subunit-the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-like protein. Moreover, the NADP(+) metabolite, NAADP(+), regulates intracellular calcium homeostasis via the 2-pore channel, ryanodine receptor, or transient receptor potential M2 channels. Regulation of ion channels by pyridine nucleotides may be required for integrating cell ion transport to energetics and for sensing oxygen levels or metabolite availability. This mechanism also may be an important component of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, memory, and circadian rhythms, and disruption of this regulatory axis may be linked to dysregulation of calcium homeostasis and cardiac arrhythmias.

Functional plasticity of the human infant β-cell exocytotic phenotype

Our understanding of adult human β-cells is advancing, but we know little about the function and plasticity of β-cells from infants. We therefore characterized islets and single islet cells from human infants after isolation and culture. Although islet morphology in pancreas biopsies was similar to that in adults, infant islets after isolation and 24-48 hours of culture had less insulin staining, content, and secretion. The cultured infant islets expressed pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 and several (Glut1, Cav1.3, Kir6.2) but not all (syntaxin 1A and synaptosomal-associated protein 25) markers of functional islets, suggesting a loss of secretory phenotype in culture. The activity of key ion channels was maintained in isolated infant β-cells, whereas exocytosis was much lower than in adults. We examined whether a functional exocytotic phenotype could be reestablished under conditions thought to promote β-cell differentiation. After a 24- to 28-day expansion and maturation protocol, we found preservation of endocrine markers and hormone expression, an increased proportion of insulin-positive cells, elevated expression of syntaxin 1A and synaptosomal-associated protein 25, and restoration of exocytosis to levels comparable with that in adult β-cells. Thus, human infant islets are prone to loss of their exocytotic phenotype in culture but amenable to experimental approaches aimed at promoting expansion and functional maturation. Control of exocytotic protein expression may be an important mechanism underlying the plasticity of the secretory machinery, an increased understanding of which may lead to improved regenerative approaches to treat diabetes.

Loss of coupling between calcium influx, energy consumption and insulin secretion associated with development of hyperglycaemia in the UCD-T2DM rat model of type 2 diabetes

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Previous studies on isolated islets have demonstrated tight coupling between calcium (Ca(2+)) influx and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) that is correlated with insulin secretion rate (ISR). To explain these observations, we have proposed a mechanism whereby the activation of a highly energetic process (Ca(2+)/metabolic coupling process [CMCP]) by Ca(2+) mediates the stimulation of ISR. The aim of the study was to test whether impairment of the CMCP could play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

Glucose- and Ca(2+)-mediated changes in OCR and ISR in isolated islets were compared with the time course of changes of plasma insulin concentrations observed during the progression to hyperglycaemia in a rat model of type-2 diabetes (the University of California at Davis type 2 diabetes mellitus [UCD-T2DM] rat). Islets were isolated from UCD-T2DM rats before, 1 week, and 3 weeks after the onset of hyperglycaemia.

RESULTS

Glucose stimulation of cytosolic Ca(2+) and OCR was similar for islets harvested before and 1 week after the onset of hyperglycaemia. In contrast, a loss of decrement in islet OCR and ISR in response to Ca(2+) channel blockade coincided with decreased fasting plasma insulin concentrations observed in rats 3 weeks after the onset of hyperglycaemia.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

These results suggest that phenotypic impairment of diabetic islets in the UCD-T2DM rat is downstream of Ca(2+) influx and involves unregulated stimulation of the CMCP. The continuously elevated levels of CMCP induced by chronic hyperglycaemia in these islets may mediate the loss of islet function.

Coordinate changes in histone modifications, mRNA levels, and metabolite profiles in clonal INS-1 832/13 β-cells accompany functional adaptations to lipotoxicity

Lipotoxicity is a presumed pathogenetic process whereby elevated circulating and stored lipids in type 2 diabetes cause pancreatic β-cell failure. To resolve the underlying molecular mechanisms, we exposed clonal INS-1 832/13 β-cells to palmitate for 48 h. We observed elevated basal insulin secretion but impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in palmitate-exposed cells. Glucose utilization was unchanged, palmitate oxidation was increased, and oxygen consumption was impaired. Halting exposure of the clonal INS-1 832/13 β-cells to palmitate largely recovered all of the lipid-induced functional changes. Metabolite profiling revealed profound but reversible increases in cellular lipids. Glucose-induced increases in tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates were attenuated by exposure to palmitate. Analysis of gene expression by microarray showed increased expression of 982 genes and decreased expression of 1032 genes after exposure to palmitate. Increases were seen in pathways for steroid biosynthesis, cell cycle, fatty acid metabolism, DNA replication, and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids; decreases occurred in the aminoacyl-tRNA synthesis pathway. The activity of histone-modifying enzymes and histone modifications of differentially expressed genes were reversibly altered upon exposure to palmitate. Thus, Insig1, Lss, Peci, Idi1, Hmgcs1, and Casr were subject to epigenetic regulation. Our analyses demonstrate that coordinate changes in histone modifications, mRNA levels, and metabolite profiles accompanied functional adaptations of clonal β-cells to lipotoxicity. It is highly likely that these changes are pathogenetic, accounting for loss of glucose responsiveness and perturbed insulin secretion.

Time-resolved metabolomics analysis of β-cells implicates the pentose phosphate pathway in the control of insulin release

Insulin secretion is coupled with changes in β-cell metabolism. To define this process, 195 putative metabolites, mitochondrial respiration, NADP+, NADPH and insulin secretion were measured within 15 min of stimulation of clonal INS-1 832/13 β-cells with glucose. Rapid responses in the major metabolic pathways of glucose occurred, involving several previously suggested metabolic coupling factors. The complexity of metabolite changes observed disagreed with the concept of one single metabolite controlling insulin secretion. The complex alterations in metabolite levels suggest that a coupling signal should reflect large parts of the β-cell metabolic response. This was fulfilled by the NADPH/NADP+ ratio, which was elevated (8-fold; P<0.01) at 6 min after glucose stimulation. The NADPH/NADP+ ratio paralleled an increase in ribose 5-phosphate (>2.5-fold; P<0.001). Inhibition of the pentose phosphate pathway by trans-dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) suppressed ribose 5-phosphate levels and production of reduced glutathione, as well as insulin secretion in INS-1 832/13 β-cells and rat islets without affecting ATP production. Metabolite profiling of rat islets confirmed the glucose-induced rise in ribose 5-phosphate, which was prevented by DHEA. These findings implicate the pentose phosphate pathway, and support a role for NADPH and glutathione, in β-cell stimulus-secretion coupling.

Mice deficient in the respiratory chain gene Cox6a2 are protected against high-fat diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance

Oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria is responsible for 90% of ATP synthesis in most cells. This essential housekeeping function is mediated by nuclear and mitochondrial genes encoding subunits of complex I to V of the respiratory chain. Although complex IV is the best studied of these complexes, the exact function of the striated muscle-specific subunit COX6A2 is still poorly understood. In this study, we show that Cox6a2-deficient mice are protected against high-fat diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. This phenotype results from elevated energy expenditure and a skeletal muscle fiber type switch towards more oxidative fibers. At the molecular level we observe increased formation of reactive oxygen species, constitutive activation of AMP-activated protein kinase, and enhanced expression of uncoupling proteins. Our data indicate that COX6A2 is a regulator of respiratory uncoupling in muscle and we demonstrate that a novel and direct link exists between muscle respiratory chain activity and diet-induced obesity/insulin resistance.

In vivo multiphoton NADH fluorescence reveals depth-dependent keratinocyte metabolism in human skin

We employ a clinical multiphoton microscope to monitor in vivo and noninvasively the changes in reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) fluorescence of human epidermal cells during arterial occlusion. We correlate these results with measurements of tissue oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin concentration during oxygen deprivation using spatial frequency domain imaging. During arterial occlusion, a decrease in oxyhemoglobin corresponds to an increase in NADH fluorescence in the basal epidermal cells, implying a reduction in basal cell oxidative phosphorylation. The ischemia-induced oxygen deprivation is associated with a strong increase in NADH fluorescence of keratinocytes in layers close to the stratum basale, whereas keratinocytes from epidermal layers closer to the skin surface are not affected. Spatial frequency domain imaging optical property measurements, combined with a multilayer Monte Carlo-based radiative transport model of multiphoton microscopy signal collection in skin, establish that localized tissue optical property changes during occlusion do not impact the observed NADH signal increase. This outcome supports the hypothesis that the vascular contribution to the basal layer oxygen supply is significant and these cells engage in oxidative metabolism. Keratinocytes in the more superficial stratum granulosum are either supplied by atmospheric oxygen or are functionally anaerobic. Based on combined hemodynamic and two-photon excited fluorescence data, the oxygen consumption rate in the stratum basale is estimated to be ∼0.035 μmoles/10(6) cells/h.

Redox homeostasis in pancreatic β cells

We reviewed mechanisms that determine reactive oxygen species (redox) homeostasis, redox information signaling and metabolic/regulatory function of autocrine insulin signaling in pancreatic β cells, and consequences of oxidative stress and dysregulation of redox/information signaling for their dysfunction. We emphasize the role of mitochondrion in β cell molecular physiology and pathology, including the antioxidant role of mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP2. Since in pancreatic β cells pyruvate cannot be easily diverted towards lactate dehydrogenase for lactate formation, the respiration and oxidative phosphorylation intensity are governed by the availability of glucose, leading to a certain ATP/ADP ratio, whereas in other cell types, cell demand dictates respiration/metabolism rates. Moreover, we examine the possibility that type 2 diabetes mellitus might be considered as an inevitable result of progressive self-accelerating oxidative stress and concomitantly dysregulated information signaling in peripheral tissues as well as in pancreatic β cells. It is because the redox signaling is inherent to the insulin receptor signaling mechanism and its impairment leads to the oxidative and nitrosative stress. Also emerging concepts, admiting participation of redox signaling even in glucose sensing and insulin release in pancreatic β cells, fit in this view. For example, NADPH has been firmly established to be a modulator of glucose-stimulated insulin release.

Mitochondrial signal transduction in pancreatic β-cells

In the endocrine fraction of the pancreas, the task of the beta-cell is to continuously and perfectly adjust insulin secretion to fluctuating blood glucose levels, thereby maintaining glycemia and nutrient homeostasis. This glucose sensing coupled to insulin exocytosis depends on transduction of metabolic signals into intracellular messengers recognized by the exocytotic machinery. Central to this metabolism-secretion coupling, mitochondrial signal transduction refers to both integration and generation of metabolic signals, connecting glucose sensing to insulin exocytosis. In response to a glucose rise, nucleotides and metabolites are generated by mitochondria and participate, together with cytosolic calcium, in the stimulation of insulin release. This review describes the role of mitochondria in metabolic signal transduction regulating insulin secretion.

Increased fetal insulin concentrations for one week fail to improve insulin secretion or β-cell mass in fetal sheep with chronically reduced glucose supply

Maternal undernutrition during pregnancy and placental insufficiency are characterized by impaired development of fetal pancreatic β-cells. Prolonged reduced glucose supply to the fetus is a feature of both. It is unknown if reduced glucose supply, independent of other complications of maternal undernutrition and placental insufficiency, would cause similar β-cell defects. Therefore, we measured fetal insulin secretion and β-cell mass following prolonged reduced fetal glucose supply in sheep. We also tested whether restoring physiological insulin concentrations would correct any β-cell defects. Pregnant sheep received either a direct saline infusion (CON = control, n = 5) or an insulin infusion (HG = hypoglycemic, n = 5) for 8 wk in late gestation (75 to 134 days) to decrease maternal glucose concentrations and reduce fetal glucose supply. A separate group of HG fetuses also received a direct fetal insulin infusion for the final week of the study with a dextrose infusion to prevent a further fall in glucose concentration [hypoglycemic + insulin (HG+I), n = 4]. Maximum glucose-stimulated insulin concentrations were 45% lower in HG fetuses compared with CON fetuses. β-Cell, pancreatic, and fetal mass were 50%, 37%, and 40% lower in HG compared with CON fetuses, respectively (P < 0.05). Insulin secretion and β-cell mass did not improve in the HG+I fetuses. These results indicate that chronically reduced fetal glucose supply is sufficient to reduce pancreatic insulin secretion in response to glucose, primarily due to reduced pancreatic and β-cell mass, and is not correctable with insulin.

NADPH oxidase NOX2 defines a new antagonistic role for reactive oxygen species and cAMP/PKA in the regulation of insulin secretion

In insulin-secreting cells, expression of NADPH oxidase (NOX), a potent source of ROS, has been reported, along with controversial findings regarding its function. Here, the role of NOXs was investigated: first by expression and cellular localization in mouse and human pancreatic islets, and then by functional studies in islets isolated from Nox isoform-specific knockout mice. Both human and mouse β-cells express NOX, in particular NOX2. With use of Nox isoform-specific knockout mice, functional analysis revealed Nox2 as the predominant isoform. In human islets, NOX2 colocalized with both insulin granules and endosome/lysosome membranes. Nox2-deficient islets stimulated with 22.8 mmol/L glucose exhibited potentiation of insulin release compared with controls, an effect confirmed with in vitro knockdown of Nox2. The enhanced secretory function in Nox2-deficient islets was associated with both lower superoxide levels and elevated cAMP concentrations. In control islets, GLP-1 and other cAMP inducers suppressed glucose-induced ROS production similarly to Nox2 deficiency. Inhibiting cAMP-dependent protein kinase reduced the secretory response in Nox2-null islets, although not in control islets. This study ascribes a new role for NOX2 in pancreatic β-cells as negative modulator of the secretory response, reducing cAMP/PKA signaling secondary to ROS generation. Results also show reciprocal inhibition between the cAMP/PKA pathway and ROS.

Regulation of insulin secretion in human pancreatic islets

Pancreatic β cells secrete insulin, the body's only hormone capable of lowering plasma glucose levels. Impaired or insufficient insulin secretion results in diabetes mellitus. The β cell is electrically excitable; in response to an elevation of glucose, it depolarizes and starts generating action potentials. The electrophysiology of mouse β cells and the cell's role in insulin secretion have been extensively investigated. More recently, similar studies have been performed on human β cells. These studies have revealed numerous and important differences between human and rodent β cells. Here we discuss the properties of human pancreatic β cells: their glucose sensing, the ion channel complement underlying glucose-induced electrical activity that culminates in exocytotic release of insulin, the cellular control of exocytosis, and the modulation of insulin secretion by circulating hormones and locally released neurotransmitters. Finally, we consider the pathophysiology of insulin secretion and the interactions between genetics and environmental factors that may explain the current diabetes epidemic.

NAD kinase regulates the size of the NADPH pool and insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells

NADPH is an important component of the antioxidant defense system and a proposed mediator in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) from pancreatic β-cells. An increase in the NADPH/NADP(+) ratio has been reported to occur within minutes following the rise in glucose concentration in β-cells. However, 30 min following the increase in glucose, the total NADPH pool also increases through a mechanism not yet characterized. NAD kinase (NADK) catalyzes the de novo formation of NADP(+) by phosphorylation of NAD(+). NAD kinases have been shown to be essential for redox regulation, oxidative stress defense, and survival in bacteria and yeast. However, studies on NADK in eukaryotic cells are scarce, and the function of this enzyme has not been described in β-cells. We employed INS-1 832/13 cells, an insulin-secreting rat β-cell line, and isolated rodent islets to investigate the role of NADK in β-cell metabolic pathways. Adenoviral-mediated overexpression of NADK resulted in a two- to threefold increase in the total NADPH pool and NADPH/NADP(+) ratio, suggesting that NADP(+) formed by the NADK-catalyzed reaction is rapidly reduced to NADPH via cytosolic reductases. This increase in the NADPH pool was accompanied by an increase in GSIS in NADK-overexpressing cells. Furthermore, NADK overexpression protected β-cells against oxidative damage by the redox cycling agent menadione and reversed menadione-mediated inhibition of GSIS. Knockdown of NADK via shRNA exerted the opposite effect on all these parameters. These data suggest that NADK kinase regulates intracellular redox and affects insulin secretion and oxidative defense in the β-cell.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species generation, antioxidant defenses, and β-cell function: a critical role for amino acids

Growing evidence indicates that the regulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) levels is essential for maintaining normal β-cell glucose responsiveness. While long-term exposure to high glucose induces oxidative stress in β cells, conflicting results have been published regarding the impact of ROS on acute glucose exposure and their role in glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Although β cells are considered to be particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage, as they express relatively low levels of some peroxide-metabolizing enzymes such as catalase and glutathione (GSH) peroxidase, other less known GSH-based antioxidant systems are expressed in β cells at higher levels. Herein, we discuss the key mechanisms of ROS/RNS production and their physiological function in pancreatic β cells. We also hypothesize that specific interactions between RNS and ROS may be the cause of the vulnerability of pancreatic β cells to oxidative damage. In addition, using a hypothetical metabolic model based on the data available in the literature, we emphasize the importance of amino acid availability for GSH synthesis and for the maintenance of β-cell function and viability during periods of metabolic disturbance before the clinical onset of diabetes.

DeSUMOylation Controls Insulin Exocytosis in Response to Metabolic Signals

The secretion of insulin by pancreatic islet β-cells plays a pivotal role in glucose homeostasis and diabetes. Recent work suggests an important role for SUMOylation in the control of insulin secretion from β-cells. In this paper we discuss mechanisms whereby (de)SUMOylation may control insulin release by modulating β-cell function at one or more key points; and particularly through the acute and reversible regulation of the exocytotic machinery. Furthermore, we postulate that the SUMO-specific protease SENP1 is an important mediator of insulin exocytosis in response to NADPH, a metabolic secretory signal and major determinant of β-cell redox state. Dialysis of mouse β-cells with NADPH efficiently amplifies β-cell exocytosis even when extracellular glucose is low; an effect that is lost upon knockdown of SENP1. Conversely, over-expression of SENP1 itself augments β-cell exocytosis in a redox-dependent manner. Taken together, we suggest that (de)SUMOylation represents an important mechanism that acutely regulates insulin secretion and that SENP1 can act as an amplifier of insulin exocytosis.

Metabolomic analysis of pancreatic β-cell insulin release in response to glucose

Defining the key metabolic pathways that are important for fuel-regulated insulin secretion is critical to providing a complete picture of how nutrients regulate insulin secretion. We have performed a detailed metabolomics study of the clonal β-cell line 832/13 using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) to investigate potential coupling factors that link metabolic pathways to insulin secretion. Mid-polar and polar metabolites, extracted from the 832/13 β-cells, were derivatized and then run on a GC/MS to identify and quantify metabolite concentrations. Three hundred fifty-five out of 527 chromatographic peaks could be identified as metabolites by our metabolomic platform. These identified metabolites allowed us to perform a systematic analysis of key pathways involved in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Of these metabolites, 41 were consistently identified as biomarker for GSIS by orthogonal partial least-squares (OPLS). Most of the identified metabolites are from common metabolic pathways including glycolytic, sorbitol-aldose reductase pathway, pentose phosphate pathway, and the TCA cycle suggesting these pathways play an important role in GSIS. Lipids and related products were also shown to contribute to the clustering of high glucose sample groups. Amino acids lysine, tyrosine, alanine and serine were upregulated by glucose whereas aspartic acid was downregulated by glucose suggesting these amino acids might play a key role in GSIS. In summary, a coordinated signaling cascade elicited by glucose metabolism in pancreatic β-cells is revealed by our metabolomics platform providing a new conceptual framework for future research and/or drug discovery.

Mitochondrial signals drive insulin secretion in the pancreatic β-cell

β-Cell nutrient sensing depends on mitochondrial function. Oxidation of nutrient-derived metabolites in the mitochondria leads to plasma membrane depolarization, Ca(2+) influx and insulin granule exocytosis. Subsequent mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake further accelerates metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. Nutrient activation also increases the mitochondrial matrix pH. This alkalinization is required to maintain elevated insulin secretion during prolonged nutrient stimulation. Together the mitochondrial Ca(2+) rise and matrix alkalinization assure optimal ATP synthesis necessary for efficient activation of the triggering pathway of insulin secretion. The sustained, amplifying pathway of insulin release also depends on mitochondrial Ca(2+) signals, which likely influence the generation of glucose-derived metabolites serving as coupling factors. Therefore, mitochondria are both recipients and generators of signals essential for metabolism-secretion coupling. Activation of these signaling pathways would be an attractive target for the improvement of β-cell function and the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Plasma membrane potential oscillations in insulin secreting Ins-1 832/13 cells do not require glycolysis and are not initiated by fluctuations in mitochondrial bioenergetics

Oscillations in plasma membrane potential play a central role in glucose-induced insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells and related insulinoma cell lines. We have employed a novel fluorescent plasma membrane potential (Δψ(p)) indicator in combination with indicators of cytoplasmic free Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](c)), mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ(m)), matrix ATP concentration, and NAD(P)H fluorescence to investigate the role of mitochondria in the generation of plasma membrane potential oscillations in clonal INS-1 832/13 β-cells. Elevated glucose caused oscillations in plasma membrane potential and cytoplasmic free Ca(2+) concentration over the same concentration range required for insulin release, although considerable cell-to-cell heterogeneity was observed. Exogenous pyruvate was as effective as glucose in inducing oscillations, both in the presence and absence of 2.8 mM glucose. Increased glucose and pyruvate each produced a concentration-dependent mitochondrial hyperpolarization. The causal relationships between pairs of parameters (Δψ(p) and [Ca(2+)](c), Δψ(p) and NAD(P)H, matrix ATP and [Ca(2+)](c), and Δψ(m) and [Ca(2+)](c)) were investigated at single cell level. It is concluded that, in these β-cells, depolarizing oscillations in Δψ(p) are not initiated by mitochondrial bioenergetic changes. Instead, regardless of substrate, it appears that the mitochondria may simply be required to exceed a critical bioenergetic threshold to allow release of insulin. Once this threshold is exceeded, an autonomous Δψ(p) oscillatory mechanism is initiated.

Central role of lactic acidosis in cancer cell resistance to glucose deprivation-induced cell death

Solid tumours are dependent on glucose, but are generally glucose-deprived due to poor vascularization. Nevertheless, cancer cells can generally survive glucose deprivation better than their normal counterparts. Thus, to render cancer cells sensitive to glucose depletion may potentially provide an effective strategy for cancer intervention. We propose that lactic acidosis, a tumour microenvironment factor, may allow cancer cells to develop resistance to glucose deprivation-induced death, and that disruption of lactic acidosis may resume cancer cells' sensitivity to glucose depletion. Lactic acidosis, lactosis, or acidosis was generated by adding pure lactic acid, sodium lactate, or HCl to the culture medium. Cell death, cell cycle, autophagy, apoptosis, and gene expression profiling of the surviving cancer cells under glucose deprivation with lactic acidosis were determined. Under glucose deprivation without lactic acidosis, 90% of 4T1 cancer cells died within a single day; in a sharp contrast, under lactic acidosis, 90% of 4T1 cells died in a period of 10 days, with viable cells identified even 65 days after glucose was depleted. Upon glucose restoration, surviving cells resumed proliferation. Lactic acidosis also significantly extended survival of other cancer cells under glucose deprivation. G1/G0 arrest, autophagy induction, and apoptosis inhibition were tightly associated with lactic acidosis-mediated resistance to glucose deprivation. Lactosis alone had no effect on cell survival under glucose deprivation; acidosis alone can prolong cell survival time but is not as potent as lactic acidosis. Thus, the ability of cancer cells to resist glucose deprivation-induced cell death is conferred, at least in part, by lactic acidosis, and we envision that disrupting the lactic acidosis may resume the sensitivity of cancer cells to glucose deprivation.

Overcoming the spatial barriers of the stimulus secretion cascade in pancreatic β-cells

The ability of the pancreatic β-cells to adapt the rate of insulin release in accordance to changes in circulating glucose levels is essential for glucose homeostasis. Two spatial barriers imposed by the plasma membrane and inner mitochondrial membrane need to be overcome in order to achieve stringent coupling between the different steps in the stimulus-secretion cascade.   The first spatial barrier is overcome by the presence of a glucose transporter (GLUT) in the plasma membrane, whereas a low affinity hexokinase IV (glucokinase, GK) in the cytosol conveys glucose availability into a metabolic flux that triggers and accelerates insulin release. The mitochondrial inner membrane comprises a second spatial barrier that compartmentalizes glucose metabolism into glycolysis (cytosol) and tricarboxylate (TCA) cycle (mitochondrial matrix). The exchange of metabolites between cytosol and mitochondrial matrix is mediated via a set of mitochondrial carriers, including the aspartate-glutamate carrier (aralar1), α- ketoglutarate carrier (OGC), ATP/ADP carrier (AAC), glutamate carrier (GC1), dicarboxylate carrier (DIC) and citrate/isocitrate carrier (CIC). The scope of this review is to provide an overview of the role these carriers play in stimulus-secretion coupling and discuss the importance of these findings in the context of the exquisite glucose responsive state of the pancreatic β-cell.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) mediates nutrient regulation of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) in pancreatic beta-cells

Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) regulates critical biological processes including inflammation, stress and apoptosis. TXNIP is upregulated by glucose and is a critical mediator of hyperglycemia-induced beta-cell apoptosis in diabetes. In contrast, the saturated long-chain fatty acid palmitate, although toxic to the beta-cell, inhibits TXNIP expression. The mechanisms involved in the opposing effects of glucose and fatty acids on TXNIP expression are unknown. We found that both palmitate and oleate inhibited TXNIP in a rat beta-cell line and islets. Palmitate inhibition of TXNIP was independent of fatty acid beta-oxidation or esterification. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has an important role in cellular energy sensing and control of metabolic homeostasis; therefore we investigated its involvement in nutrient regulation of TXNIP. As expected, glucose inhibited whereas palmitate stimulated AMPK. Pharmacologic activators of AMPK mimicked fatty acids by inhibiting TXNIP. AMPK knockdown increased TXNIP expression in presence of high glucose with and without palmitate, indicating that nutrient (glucose and fatty acids) effects on TXNIP are mediated in part via modulation of AMPK activity. TXNIP is transcriptionally regulated by carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP). Palmitate inhibited glucose-stimulated ChREBP nuclear entry and recruitment to the Txnip promoter, thereby inhibiting Txnip transcription. We conclude that AMPK is an important regulator of Txnip transcription via modulation of ChREBP activity. The divergent effects of glucose and fatty acids on TXNIP expression result in part from their opposing effects on AMPK activity. In light of the important role of TXNIP in beta-cell apoptosis, its inhibition by fatty acids can be regarded as an adaptive/protective response to glucolipotoxicity. The finding that AMPK mediates nutrient regulation of TXNIP may have important implications for the pathophysiology and treatment of diabetes.

Signal integration at the level of ion channel and exocytotic function in pancreatic β-cells

Whole body energy balance is ensured by the exquisite control of insulin secretion, the dysregulation of which has serious consequences. Although a great deal has been learned about the control of insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells in the past 30 years, there remains much to be understood about the molecular mechanisms and interactions that underlie the precise control of this process. Numerous molecular interactions at the plasma membrane mediate the excitatory and amplifying events involved in insulin secretion; this includes interactions between ion channels, signal transduction machinery, and exocytotic proteins. The present Perspectives article considers evidence that key membrane and membrane-associated proteins essential to insulin secretion are regulated in concert as a functional unit, ensuring an integrated excitatory and exocytotic response to the signals that control insulin secretion.

The level of menadione redox-cycling in pancreatic β-cells is proportional to the glucose concentration: role of NADH and consequences for insulin secretion

Pancreatic β-cells release insulin in response to elevation of glucose from basal (4-7mM) to stimulatory (8-16mM) levels. Metabolism of glucose by the β-cell results in the production of low levels of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI), such as hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), a newly recognized coupling factor linking glucose metabolism to insulin secretion. However, high and toxic levels of H(2)O(2) inhibit insulin secretion. Menadione, which produces H(2)O(2) via redox cycling mechanism in a dose-dependent manner, was investigated for its effect on β-cell metabolism and insulin secretion in INS-1 832/13, a rat β-cell insulinoma cell line, and primary rodent islets. Menadione-dependent redox cycling and resulting H(2)O(2) production under stimulatory glucose exceeded several-fold those reached at basal glucose. This was paralleled by a differential effect of menadione (0.1-10μM) on insulin secretion, which was enhanced at basal, but inhibited at stimulatory glucose. Redox cycling of menadione and H(2)O(2) formation was dependent on glycolytically-derived NADH, as inhibition of glycolysis and application of non-glycogenic insulin secretagogues did not support redox cycling. In addition, activity of plasma membrane electron transport, a system dependent in part on glycolytically-derived NADH, was also inhibited by menadione. Menadione-dependent redox cycling was sensitive to the NQO1 inhibitor dicoumarol and the flavoprotein inhibitor diphenylene iodonium, suggesting a role for NQO1 and other oxidoreductases in this process. These data may explain the apparent dichotomy between the stimulatory and inhibitory effects of H(2)O(2) and menadione on insulin secretion.

The pyruvate carboxylase-pyruvate dehydrogenase axis in islet pyruvate metabolism: Going round in circles?

Pyruvate is the major product of glycolysis in pancreatic β-cells, and its ultimate metabolic fate depends on the relative activities of two enzymes. The first, pyruvate carboxylase (PC) replenishes oxaloacetate withdrawn from the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle via the carboxylation of pyruvate to form oxaloacetate. Flux via PC is also involved in the formation of NADPH, one of several important coupling factors for insulin secretion. In most tissues, PC activity is enhanced by increased acetyl-CoA. The alternative fate of pyruvate is its oxidative decarboxylation to form acetyl-CoA via the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). The ultimate fate of acetyl-CoA carbon is oxidation to CO2 via the TCA cycle, and so the PDC reaction results of the irreversible loss of glucose-derived carbon. Thus, PDC activity is stringently regulated. The mechanisms controlling PDC activity include end-product inhibition by increased acetyl-CoA, NADH and ATP, and its phosphorylation (inactivation) by a family of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases (PDHKs 1-4). Here we review new developments in the regulation of the activities and expression of PC, PDC and the PDHKs in the pancreatic islet in relation to islet pyruvate disposition and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS).

Effect of dietary arginine on growth, intestinal enzyme activities and gene expression in muscle, hepatopancreas and intestine of juvenile Jian carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jian)

The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that dietary arginine promotes digestion and absorption capacity, and, thus, enhances fish growth. This improvement might be related to the target of rapamycin (TOR) and eIF4E-binding protein (4E-BP). A total of 1200 juvenile Jian carp, Cyprinus carpio var. Jian, with an average initial weight of 6.33 (SE 0.03) g, were fed with diets containing graded concentrations of arginine, namely, 9.8 (control), 12.7, 16.1, 18.5, 21.9 and 24.5 g arginine/kg diet for 9 weeks. An real-time quantitative PCR analysis was performed to determine the relative expression of TOR and 4E-BP in fish muscle, hepatopancreas and intestine. Dietary arginine increased (P < 0.05): (1) glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamate-pyruvate transaminase activities in muscle and hepatopancreas; (2) intestine and hepatopancreas protein content, folds height, and trypsin, chymotrypsin, lipase, Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and creatine kinase activities in intestine; (3) Lactobacillus counts; (4) relative expression of TOR in the muscle, hepatopancreas and distal intestine (DI); (5) relative expression of 4E-BP in proximal intestine (PI) and mid-intestine (MI), as compared with the control group. In contrast, dietary arginine reduced (P < 0.05): (1) plasma ammonia content; (2) Aeromonas hydrophila and Escherichia coli counts; (3) relative expression of TOR in PI and MI; (4) relative expression of 4E-BP in the muscle, hepatopancreas and DI. The arginine requirement estimated by specific growth rate using quadratic regression analysis was found to be 18.0 g/kg diet. These results indicate that arginine improved fish growth, digestive and absorptive ability and regulated the expression of TOR and 4E-BP genes.

Rates of insulin secretion in INS-1 cells are enhanced by coupling to anaplerosis and Kreb's cycle flux independent of ATP synthesis

Mechanistic models of glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) established in minimal media in vitro, may not accurately describe the complexity of coupling metabolism with insulin secretion that occurs in vivo. As a first approximation, we have evaluated metabolic pathways in a typical growth media, DMEM as a surrogate in vivo medium, for comparison to metabolic fluxes observed under the typical experimental conditions using the simple salt-buffer of KRB. Changes in metabolism in response to glucose and amino acids and coupling to insulin secretion were measured in INS-1 832/13 cells. Media effects on mitochondrial function and the coupling efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation were determined by fluorometrically measured oxygen consumption rates (OCRs) combined with (31)P NMR measured rates of ATP synthesis. Substrate preferences and pathways into the TCA cycle, and the synthesis of mitochondrial 2nd messengers by anaplerosis were determined by (13)C NMR isotopomer analysis of the fate of [U-(13)C] glucose metabolism. Despite similar incremental increases in insulin secretion, the changes of OCR in response to increasing glucose from 2.5 to 15mM were blunted in DMEM relative to KRB. Basal and stimulated rates of insulin secretion rates were consistently higher in DMEM, while ATP synthesis rates were identical in both DMEM and KRB, suggesting greater mitochondrial uncoupling in DMEM. The relative rates of anaplerosis, and hence synthesis and export of 2nd messengers from the mitochondria were found to be similar in DMEM to those in KRB. And, the correlation of total PC flux with insulin secretion rates in DMEM was found to be congruous with the correlation in KRB. Together, these results suggest that signaling mechanisms associated with both TCA cycle flux and with anaplerotic flux, but not ATP production, may be responsible for the enhanced rates of insulin secretion in more complex, and physiologically-relevant media.

Fuel-Stimulated Insulin Secretion Depends upon Mitochondria Activation and the Integration of Mitochondrial and Cytosolic Substrate Cycles

The pancreatic islet β-cell is uniquely specialized to couple its metabolism and rates of insulin secretion with the levels of circulating nutrient fuels, with the mitochondrial playing a central regulatory role in this process. In the β-cell, mitochondrial activation generates an integrated signal reflecting rates of oxidativephosphorylation, Kreb's cycle flux, and anaplerosis that ultimately determines the rate of insulin exocytosis. Mitochondrial activation can be regulated by proton leak and mediated by UCP2, and by alkalinization to utilize the pH gradient to drive substrate and ion transport. Converging lines of evidence support the hypothesis that substrate cycles driven by rates of Kreb's cycle flux and by anaplerosis play an integral role in coupling responsive changes in mitochondrial metabolism with insulin secretion. The components and mechanisms that account for the integrated signal of ATP production, substrate cycling, the regulation of cellular redox state, and the production of other secondary signaling intermediates are operative in both rodent and human islet β-cells.

Mechanisms of glucose sensing in the pancreatic β-cell: A computational systems-based analysis

Pancreatic β-cells respond to rising blood glucose by increasing oxidative metabolism, leading to an increased ATP/ADP ratio in the cytoplasm with a subsequent influx of calcium and the eventual secretion of insulin. The mechanisms of glucose sensing in the pancreatic β-cell involve the coupling of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial processes. Our analysis, based on mathematical models of data from multiple sources has implications for β-cell function and the treatment of type 2 diabetes (Fridlyand and Philipson, 2010). This β-cell glucose response model correctly predicts changes in the ATP/ADP ratio, cytoplasmic and mitochondrial calcium levels, and other metabolic parameters in response to alterations in substrate delivery at steady-state and during cytoplasmic calcium oscillations. Here we consider how peculiarities of β-cell pathways that result in dysfunction can be a consequence of specific mechanisms of glucose sensitivity, using our computational systems-based analysis. We found that the mitochondrial membrane potential must be relatively low in β-cells compared with other cell types to permit precise mitochondrial regulation of the cytoplasmic ATP/ADP ratio. This key difference may follow from a relative reduction in cellular respiratory activity. Our analysis additionally demonstrates how activity of lactate dehydrogenase, uncoupling proteins, and the redox shuttles all working in concert can regulate β-cell function. We further show that a decreased mitochondrial membrane potential may lead to a low rate of production of reactive oxygen species in β-cells under physiological conditions. This computational systems analysis aids in providing a more complete understanding of the complex process of β-cell glucose sensing.

Control of the intracellular redox state by glucose participates in the insulin secretion mechanism

BACKGROUND

Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to chronic exposure to glucose has been associated with impaired beta cell function and diabetes. However, physiologically, beta cells are well equipped to deal with episodic glucose loads, to which they respond with a fine tuned glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). In the present study, a systematic investigation in rat pancreatic islets about the changes in the redox environment induced by acute exposure to glucose was carried out.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Short term incubations were performed in isolated rat pancreatic islets. Glucose dose- and time-dependently reduced the intracellular ROS content in pancreatic islets as assayed by fluorescence in a confocal microscope. This decrease was due to activation of pentose-phosphate pathway (PPP). Inhibition of PPP blunted the redox control as well as GSIS in a dose-dependent manner. The addition of low doses of ROS scavengers at high glucose concentration acutely improved beta cell function. The ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine increased the intracellular calcium response to glucose that was associated with a small decrease in ROS content. Additionally, the presence of the hydrogen peroxide-specific scavenger catalase, in its membrane-permeable form, nearly doubled glucose metabolism. Interestingly, though an increase in GSIS was also observed, this did not match the effect on glucose metabolism.

CONCLUSIONS

The control of ROS content via PPP activation by glucose importantly contributes to the mechanisms that couple the glucose stimulus to insulin secretion. Moreover, we identified intracellular hydrogen peroxide as an inhibitor of glucose metabolism intrinsic to rat pancreatic islets. These findings suggest that the intracellular adjustment of the redox environment by glucose plays an important role in the mechanism of GSIS.

Role of endogenous ROS production in impaired metabolism-secretion coupling of diabetic pancreatic β cells

One of the characteristics of type 2 diabetes is that the insulin secretory response of β cells is selectively impaired to glucose. In the Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat, a genetic model of type 2 diabetes mellitus, glucose-induced insulin secretion is selectively impaired due to deficient ATP production derived from impaired glucose metabolism. In addition, islets in GK rat and human type 2 diabetes are oxidatively stressed. In this issue, role of endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in impaired metabolism-secretion coupling of diabetic pancreatic β cells is reviewed. In β cells, ROS is endogenously produced by activation of Src, a non-receptor tyrosine kinase. Src inhibitors restore the impaired insulin release and impaired ATP elevation by reduction in ROS production in diabetic islets. Src is endogenously activated in diabetic islets, since the level of Src pY416 in GK islets is higher than that in control islets. In addition, exendin-4, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, decreases Src pY416 and glucose-induced ROS production and ameliorates impaired ATP production dependently on Epac in GK islets. These results indicate that GLP-1 signaling regulates endogenous ROS production due to Src activation and that incretin has unique therapeutic effects on impaired glucose metabolism in diabetic β cells.

Plasma membrane electron transport in pancreatic β-cells is mediated in part by NQO1

Plasma membrane electron transport (PMET), a cytosolic/plasma membrane analog of mitochondrial electron transport, is a ubiquitous system of cytosolic and plasma membrane oxidoreductases that oxidizes cytosolic NADH and NADPH and passes electrons to extracellular targets. While PMET has been shown to play an important role in a variety of cell types, no studies exist to evaluate its function in insulin-secreting cells. Here we demonstrate the presence of robust PMET activity in primary islets and clonal β-cells, as assessed by the reduction of the plasma membrane-impermeable dyes WST-1 and ferricyanide. Because the degree of metabolic function of β-cells (reflected by the level of insulin output) increases in a glucose-dependent manner between 4 and 10 mM glucose, PMET was evaluated under these conditions. PMET activity was present at 4 mM glucose and was further stimulated at 10 mM glucose. PMET activity at 10 mM glucose was inhibited by the application of the flavoprotein inhibitor diphenylene iodonium and various antioxidants. Overexpression of cytosolic NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) increased PMET activity in the presence of 10 mM glucose while inhibition of NQO1 by its inhibitor dicoumarol abolished this activity. Mitochondrial inhibitors rotenone, antimycin A, and potassium cyanide elevated PMET activity. Regardless of glucose levels, PMET activity was greatly enhanced by the application of aminooxyacetate, an inhibitor of the malate-aspartate shuttle. We propose a model for the role of PMET as a regulator of glycolytic flux and an important component of the metabolic machinery in β-cells.

Metabolomic analyses reveal profound differences in glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolism in glucose-responsive and -unresponsive clonal β-cell lines

Insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells is controlled by complex metabolic and energetic changes provoked by exposure to metabolic fuels. Perturbations in these processes lead to impaired insulin secretion, the ultimate cause of T2D (Type 2 diabetes). To increase our understanding of stimulus-secretion coupling and metabolic processes potentially involved in the pathogenesis of T2D, a comprehensive investigation of the metabolic response in the glucose-responsive INS-1 832/13 and glucose-unresponsive INS-1 832/2 β-cell lines was performed. For this metabolomics analysis, we used GC/MS (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) combined with multivariate statistics. We found that perturbed secretion in the 832/2 line was characterized by disturbed coupling of glycolytic and TCA (tricarboxylic acid)-cycle metabolism. The importance of this metabolic coupling was reinforced by our observation that insulin secretion partially could be reinstated by stimulation of the cells with mitochondrial fuels which bypass glycolytic metabolism. Furthermore, metabolic and functional profiling of additional β-cell lines (INS-1, INS-1 832/1) confirmed the important role of coupled glycolytic and TCA-cycle metabolism in stimulus-secretion coupling. Dependence of the unresponsive clones on glycolytic metabolism was paralleled by increased stabilization of HIF-1α (hypoxia-inducible factor 1α). The relevance of a similar perturbation for human T2D was suggested by increased expression of HIF-1α target genes in islets from T2D patients.

Alleviation of oxidative stress by potent and selective thioredoxin-mimetic peptides

One of the major enzymatic cell defenses providing protection from oxidative injury is the TrxR-Trx system. It consists of NADPH and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), which maintain thioredoxin (Trx) in a reduced state. Perturbing the TrxR-Trx system with the selective TrxR inhibitor auranofin (AuF; 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-1-thio-β-D-glucopyranosato-S-(triethylphosphine) gold) induces oxidative stress by keeping Trx in its oxidized state. We have prepared a family of tri- and tetra-oligopeptides derived from the canonical CxxC motif of the Trx active site and a modified CxC motif. These Trx-mimetic compounds are N- and C-terminal-blocked peptides that consist of two cysteine residues that flank the two-amino-acid CxxC motif (CB4 and CB6) or the single-amino-acid CxC motif (CB3). Catecholamine (CA) secretion in bovine chromaffin cells, which is a highly redox sensitive process, is abolished by AuF. The Trx-mimetic peptides effectively restore CA secretion, as monitored by amperometry in single cells. They also prevent the AuF-induced phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase. In PC12 cells, the alleviation of AuF-induced ERK1/2-MAPK phosphorylation by Trx-like peptides parallels their effect of restoring CA secretion. CB3, CB4, and CB6 act intracellularly and are significantly more potent than the traditional antioxidants NAC, GSH, DTT, AD4 (NAC-amide), and ascorbic acid. Taken together, the CxxC and CxC peptides represent a new family of potent and selective redox compounds that could serve as potential candidates for prevention and treatment of oxidative-stress-related disorders.

Mitochondrial matrix calcium is an activating signal for hormone secretion

Mitochondrial Ca(2+) signals have been proposed to accelerate oxidative metabolism and ATP production to match Ca(2+)-activated energy-consuming processes. Efforts to understand the signaling role of mitochondrial Ca(2+) have been hampered by the inability to manipulate matrix Ca(2+) without directly altering cytosolic Ca(2+). We were able to selectively buffer mitochondrial Ca(2+) rises by targeting the Ca(2+)-binding protein S100G to the matrix. We find that matrix Ca(2+) controls signal-dependent NAD(P)H formation, respiration, and ATP changes in intact cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that matrix Ca(2+) increases are necessary for the amplification of sustained glucose-dependent insulin secretion in β cells. Through the regulation of NAD(P)H in adrenal glomerulosa cells, matrix Ca(2+) also acts as a positive signal in reductive biosynthesis, which stimulates aldosterone secretion. Our dissection of cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca(2+) signals reveals the physiological importance of matrix Ca(2+) in energy metabolism required for signal-dependent hormone secretion.

β-Cell failure in type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetic patients are insulin resistant as a result of obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Nevertheless, it has been known for the past five decades that insulin response to nutrients is markedly diminished in type 2 diabetes. There is now a consensus that impaired glucose regulation cannot develop without insulin deficiency. First-phase insulin response to glucose is lost very early in the development of type 2 diabetes. Several prospective studies have shown that impaired insulin response to glucose is a predictor of future impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes. Recently discovered type 2 diabetes-risk gene variants influence β-cell function, and might represent the molecular basis for the low insulin secretion that predicts future type 2 diabetes. We believe type 2 diabetes develops on the basis of normal but 'weak'β-cells unable to cope with excessive functional demands imposed by overnutrition and insulin resistance. Several laboratories have shown a reduction in β-cell mass in type 2 diabetes and IGT, whereas others have found modest reductions and most importantly, a large overlap between β-cell masses of diabetic and normoglycemic subjects. Therefore, at least initially, the β-cell dysfunction of type 2 diabetes seems more functional than structural. However, type 2 diabetes is a progressive disorder, and animal models of diabetes show β-cell apoptosis with prolonged hyperglycemia/hyperlipemia (glucolipotoxicity). β-Cells exposed in vitro to glucolipotoxic conditions show endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and oxidative stress. ER stress mechanisms might participate in the adaptation of β-cells to hyperglycemia, unless excessive. β-Cells are not deficient in anti-oxidant defense, thioredoxin playing a major role. Its inhibitor, thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), might be important in leading to β-cell apoptosis and type 2 diabetes. These topics are intensively investigated and might lead to novel therapeutic approaches. (J Diabetes Invest, doi: 10.1111/j.2040-1124.2010.00094.x, 2011).

Reduced cytochrome C is an essential regulator of sustained insulin secretion by pancreatic islets

Influx of calcium is an essential but insufficient signal in sustained nutrient-stimulated insulin secretion, and increased metabolic rate of the beta cell is also required. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that the reduced state of cytochrome c is a metabolic co-factor necessary for insulin secretion, over and above its participation in the ATP-generating function of electron transport/oxidative phosphorylation. We found that nutrient stimulation of insulin secretion by isolated rat islets was strongly correlated with reduced cytochrome c, and agents that acutely and specifically reduced cytochrome c led to increased insulin secretion, even in the face of decreased oxygen consumption and calcium influx. In contrast, neither sites 1 nor 4 of the electron transport chain were both necessary and essential for the stimulation of insulin secretion to occur. Importantly, stimulation of islets with glucose, α-ketoisocaproate, or glyceraldehyde resulted in the appearance of cytochrome c in the cytosol, suggesting a pathway for the regulation of exocytotic machinery by reduction of cytochrome c. The data suggest that the metabolic factor essential for sustained calcium-stimulated insulin secretion to occur is linked to reduction and translocation of cytochrome c.

NAD(P)H oxidase participates in the palmitate-induced superoxide production and insulin secretion by rat pancreatic islets

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate [NAD(P)H] oxidase complex has been shown to be involved in the process of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). In this study, we examined the effect of palmitic acid on superoxide production and insulin secretion by rat pancreatic islets and the mechanism involved. Rat pancreatic islets were incubated during 1 h with 1 mM palmitate, 1% fatty acid free-albumin, 5.6 or 10 mM glucose and in the presence of inhibitors of NAD(P)H oxidase (DPI--diphenyleneiodonium), PKC (calphostin C) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase-I (CPT-I) (etomoxir). Superoxide content was determined by hydroethidine assays. Palmitate increased superoxide production in the presence of 5.6 and 10 mM glucose. This effect was dependent on activation of PKC and NAD(P)H oxidase. Palmitic acid oxidation was demonstrated to contribute for the fatty acid induction of superoxide production in the presence of 5.6 mM glucose. In fact, palmitate caused p47(PHOX) translocation to plasma membrane, as shown by immunohistochemistry. Exposure to palmitate for 1 h up-regulated the protein content of p47(PHOX) and the mRNA levels of p22(PHOX), gp91(PHOX), p47(PHOX), proinsulin and the G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40). Fatty acid stimulation of insulin secretion in the presence of high glucose concentration was reduced by inhibition of NAD(P)H oxidase activity. In conclusion, NAD(P)H oxidase is an important source of superoxide in pancreatic islets and the activity of NAD(P)H oxidase is involved in the control of insulin secretion by palmitate.

Cellular hypoxia of pancreatic beta-cells due to high levels of oxygen consumption for insulin secretion in vitro

Cellular oxygen consumption is a determinant of intracellular oxygen levels. Because of the high demand of mitochondrial respiration during insulin secretion, pancreatic β-cells consume large amounts of oxygen in a short time period. We examined the effect of insulin secretion on cellular oxygen tension in vitro. We confirmed that Western blotting of pimonidazole adduct was more sensitive than immunostaining for detection of cellular hypoxia in vitro and in vivo. The islets of the diabetic mice but not those of normal mice were hypoxic, especially when a high dose of glucose was loaded. In MIN6 cells, a pancreatic β-cell line, pimonidazole adduct formation and stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) were detected under mildly hypoxic conditions. Inhibition of respiration rescued the cells from becoming hypoxic. Glucose stimulation decreased cellular oxygen levels in parallel with increased insulin secretion and mitochondrial respiration. The cellular hypoxia by glucose stimulation was also observed in the isolated islets from mice. The MIN6 cells overexpressing HIF-1α were resistant to becoming hypoxic after glucose stimulation. Thus, glucose-stimulated β-cells can become hypoxic by oxygen consumption, especially when the oxygen supply is impaired.

The thioredoxin TRX-1 modulates the function of the insulin-like neuropeptide DAF-28 during dauer formation in Caenorhabditis elegans

Thioredoxins comprise a conserved family of redox regulators involved in many biological processes, including stress resistance and aging. We report that the C. elegans thioredoxin TRX-1 acts in ASJ head sensory neurons as a novel modulator of the insulin-like neuropeptide DAF-28 during dauer formation. We show that increased formation of stress-resistant, long-lived dauer larvae in mutants for the gene encoding the insulin-like neuropeptide DAF-28 requires TRX-1 acting in ASJ neurons, upstream of the insulin-like receptor DAF-2. Genetic rescue experiments demonstrate that redox-independent functions of TRX-1 specifically in ASJ neurons are needed for the dauer formation constitutive (Daf-c) phenotype of daf-28 mutants. GFP reporters of trx-1 and daf-28 show opposing expression patterns in dauers (i.e. trx-1 is up-regulated and daf-28 is down-regulated), an effect that is not observed in growing L2/L3 larvae. In addition, functional TRX-1 is required for the down-regulation of a GFP reporter of daf-28 during dauer formation, a process that is likely subject to DAF-28-mediated feedback regulation. Our findings demonstrate that TRX-1 modulates DAF-28 signaling by contributing to the down-regulation of daf-28 expression during dauer formation. We propose that TRX-1 acts as a fluctuating neuronal signaling modulator within ASJ neurons to monitor the adjustment of neuropeptide expression, including insulin-like proteins, during dauer formation in response to adverse environmental conditions.

The dicarboxylate carrier plays a role in mitochondrial malate transport and in the regulation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from rat pancreatic beta cells

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

We have previously described a strong correlation between pyruvate cycling and insulin secretion. We have also demonstrated a particularly important role for a pyruvate-isocitrate cycling pathway involving the mitochondrial citrate/isocitrate carrier (CIC) and cytosolic NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase. CIC requires cytosolic malate as a counter-substrate during citrate and isocitrate export. Thus, considering that the mitochondrial dicarboxylate carrier (DIC) provides an important source of cytosolic malate, we investigated the potential role of DIC in control of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS).

METHODS

We used pharmacological and small interfering RNA (siRNA) tools to assess the role of DIC in insulin release in clonal insulin-secreting 832/13 cells and isolated rat islets.

RESULTS

Butylmalonate, an inhibitor of malate transport, reduced cytosolic malate and citrate levels, and inhibited GSIS in a dose-dependent manner in 832/13 cells. Suppression of DIC expression resulted in inhibition of GSIS by 5% to 69%, the extent of inhibition of insulin secretion being proportional to the level of Dic (also known as Slc25a10) gene knockdown. The most effective siRNA duplex against Dic did not affect glucose utilisation, glucose oxidation or ATP/ADP ratio, but did suppress glucose-induced increments of the NADPH/NADP(+) ratio. Confirmation of our results in primary cultures of isolated rat islets showed that butylmalonate and an adenovirus expressing an siRNA against Dic-inhibited GSIS.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Malate transport by DIC may play an important role in GSIS, possibly by providing cytosolic malate as a counter-substrate for citrate and/or isocitrate export by CIC. These studies also suggest that malate transport by DIC is (1) a critical component of NADPH production mediated by pyruvate-cycling and (2) regulates GSIS.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator/hypoxia-inducible factor-1{beta} plays a critical role in maintaining glucose-stimulated anaplerosis and insulin release from pancreatic {beta}-cells

The metabolic pathways that are involved in regulating insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells are still incompletely understood. One potential regulator of the metabolic phenotype of β-cells is the transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT)/hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1β. ARNT/HIF-1β levels are profoundly reduced in islets obtained from type 2 diabetic patients. However, no study to date has investigated key pathways involved in regulating insulin release in β-cells that lack ARNT/HIF-1β. In this study, we confirm that siRNA-mediated knockdown of ARNT/HIF-1β inhibits glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. We next investigated the metabolic consequence of the loss of ARNT/HIF-1β knockdown. We demonstrate that β-cells with reduced ARNT/HIF-1β expression levels exhibit a 31% reduction in glycolytic flux without significant changes in glucose oxidation or the ATP:ADP ratio. Metabolic profiling of β-cells treated with siRNAs against the ARNT/HIF-1β gene revealed that glycolysis, anaplerosis, and glucose-induced fatty acid production were down-regulated, and all are key events involved in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. In addition, both first and second phase insulin secretion in islets were significantly reduced after ARNT/HIF-1β knockdown. Together, our data suggest an important role for ARNT/HIF-1β in anaplerosis, and it may play a critical role in maintaining normal secretion competence of β-cells.

Glucose regulation of β-cell stress in type 2 diabetes

In type 2 diabetes, the β-cell is exposed to chronic hyperglycaemia, which increases its metabolic activity, with excess generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a consequence. ROS accumulation induces both oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which may lead to β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis. Recent data suggest that oxidative and ER stress are interconnected, although the mechanisms involved in nutrient regulation of the different stress pathways are dissimilar. Several components of the oxidative and ER stress machineries have important roles in the physiological response to glucose and are thus necessary for normal β-cell function. Glucose stimulates signalling pathways that provide crucial messages for β-cell adaptation to metabolic stress; however, the same pathways may eventually lead to apoptosis. Dynamic, temporally fluctuating activation of stress signalling is probably required for the maintenance of β-cell survival, whereas its persistent activation results in β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis. Thus, stress signalling is a 'double-edged sword' that may promote adaptation or apoptosis according to the balance between the divergent outputs of the various pathways. Developing new strategies for β-cell protection based on inhibition of oxidative and/or ER stress requires comprehensive understanding of the switch from β-cell adaptation to β-cell apoptosis under conditions of metabolic stress, such as occurs under hyperglycaemic conditions.

Subplasmalemmal Ca(2+) measurements in mouse pancreatic beta cells support the existence of an amplifying effect of glucose on insulin secretion

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Glucose-induced insulin secretion is attributed to a rise of beta cell cytosolic free [Ca(2+)] ([Ca(2+)](c)) (triggering pathway) and amplification of the action of Ca(2+). This concept of amplification rests on observations that glucose can increase Ca(2+)-induced insulin secretion without further elevating an imposed already high [Ca(2+)](c). However, it remains possible that this amplification results from an increase in [Ca(2+)] just under the plasma membrane ([Ca(2+)](SM)), which escaped detection by previous measurements of global [Ca(2+)](c). This was the hypothesis that we tested here by measuring [Ca(2+)](SM).

METHODS

The genetically encoded Ca(2+) indicators D3-cpv (untargeted) and LynD3-cpv (targeted to plasma membrane) were expressed in clusters of mouse beta cells. LynD3-cpv was also expressed in beta cells within intact islets. [Ca(2+)](SM) changes were monitored using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Insulin secretion was measured in parallel.

RESULTS

Beta cells expressing D3cpv or LynD3cpv displayed normal [Ca(2+)] changes and insulin secretion in response to glucose. Distinct [Ca(2+)](SM) fluctuations were detected during repetitive variations of KCl between 30 and 32-35 mmol/l, attesting to the adequate sensitivity of our system. When the amplifying pathway was evaluated (high KCl + diazoxide), increasing glucose from 3 to 15 mmol/l consistently lowered [Ca(2+)](SM) while stimulating insulin secretion approximately two fold. Blocking Ca(2+) uptake by the endoplasmic reticulum largely attenuated the [Ca(2+)](SM) decrease produced by high glucose but did not unmask localised [Ca(2+)](SM) increases.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Glucose can increase Ca(2+)-induced insulin secretion without causing further elevation of beta cell [Ca(2+)](SM). The phenomenon is therefore a true amplification of the triggering action of Ca(2+).

Transamination is required for {alpha}-ketoisocaproate but not leucine to stimulate insulin secretion

It remains unclear how α-ketoisocaproate (KIC) and leucine are metabolized to stimulate insulin secretion. Mitochondrial BCATm (branched-chain aminotransferase) catalyzes reversible transamination of leucine and α-ketoglutarate to KIC and glutamate, the first step of leucine catabolism. We investigated the biochemical mechanisms of KIC and leucine-stimulated insulin secretion (KICSIS and LSIS, respectively) using BCATm(-/-) mice. In static incubation, BCATm disruption abolished insulin secretion by KIC, D,L-α-keto-β-methylvalerate, and α-ketocaproate without altering stimulation by glucose, leucine, or α-ketoglutarate. Similarly, during pancreas perfusions in BCATm(-/-) mice, glucose and arginine stimulated insulin release, whereas KICSIS was largely abolished. During islet perifusions, KIC and 2 mM glutamine caused robust dose-dependent insulin secretion in BCATm(+/+) not BCATm(-/-) islets, whereas LSIS was unaffected. Consistently, in contrast to BCATm(+/+) islets, the increases of the ATP concentration and NADPH/NADP(+) ratio in response to KIC were largely blunted in BCATm(-/-) islets. Compared with nontreated islets, the combination of KIC/glutamine (10/2 mM) did not influence α-ketoglutarate concentrations but caused 120 and 33% increases in malate in BCATm(+/+) and BCATm(-/-) islets, respectively. Although leucine oxidation and KIC transamination were blocked in BCATm(-/-) islets, KIC oxidation was unaltered. These data indicate that KICSIS requires transamination of KIC and glutamate to leucine and α-ketoglutarate, respectively. LSIS does not require leucine catabolism and may be through leucine activation of glutamate dehydrogenase. Thus, KICSIS and LSIS occur by enhancing the metabolism of glutamine/glutamate to α-ketoglutarate, which, in turn, is metabolized to produce the intracellular signals such as ATP and NADPH for insulin secretion.

Usurping the mitochondrial supremacy: extramitochondrial sources of reactive oxygen intermediates and their role in beta cell metabolism and insulin secretion

Insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells is a process dependent on metabolism. While oxidative stress is a well-known inducer of beta cell toxicity and impairs insulin secretion, recent studies suggest that low levels of metabolically-derived reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) also play a positive role in insulin secretion. Glucose metabolism is directly correlated with ROI production, particularly in beta cells in which glucose uptake is proportional to the extracellular concentration of glucose. Low levels of exogenously added ROI or quinones, which stimulate ROI production, positively affect insulin secretion, while antioxidants block insulin secretion, suggesting that ROI activate unidentified redox-sensitive signal transduction components within these cells. The mitochondria are one source of ROI: increased metabolic flux increases mitochondrial membrane potential resulting in electron leakage and adventitious ROI production. A second source of ROI are cytosolic and plasma membrane oxidoreductases which oxidize NAD(P)H and directly produce ROI through the reduction of molecular oxygen. The mechanism of ROI-mediated potentiation of insulin secretion remains an important topic for future study.