Tumor-like features of gene expression and metabolic profiles in enlarged pancreatic islets are associated with impaired incretin-induced insulin secretion in obese diabetes: A study of Zucker fatty diabetes mellitus rat

A new beta cell-specific mitophagy reporter mouse shows that metabolic stress leads to accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria despite increased mitophagy

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Mitophagy, the selective autophagy of mitochondria, is essential for maintenance of mitochondrial function. Recent studies suggested that defective mitophagy in beta cells caused diabetes. However, because of technical difficulties, the development of a convenient and reliable method to evaluate mitophagy in beta cells in vivo is needed. The aim of this study was to establish beta cell-specific mitophagy reporter mice and elucidate the role of mitophagy in beta cell function under metabolically stressed conditions induced by a high-fat diet (HFD).

METHODS

Mitophagy was assessed using newly generated conditional mitochondrial matrix targeting mitophagy reporter (CMMR) mice, in which mitophagy can be visualised specifically in beta cells in vivo using a fluorescent probe sensitive to lysosomal pH and degradation. Metabolic stress was induced in mice by exposure to the HFD for 20 weeks. The accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria was examined by staining for functional/total mitochondria and reactive oxygen species (ROS) using specific fluorescent dyes and antibodies. To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying mitophagy in beta cells, overexpression and knockdown experiments were performed. HFD-fed mice were examined to determine whether chronic insulin treatment for 6 weeks could ameliorate mitophagy, mitochondrial function and impaired insulin secretion.

RESULTS

Exposure to the HFD increased the number of enlarged (HFD-G) islets with markedly elevated mitophagy. Mechanistically, HFD feeding induced severe hypoxia in HFD-G islets, which upregulated mitophagy through the hypoxia-inducible factor 1-ɑ (Hif-1ɑ)/BCL2 interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) axis in beta cells. However, HFD-G islets unexpectedly showed the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria due to excessive ROS production, suggesting an insufficient capacity of mitophagy for the degradation of dysfunctional mitochondria. Chronic administration of insulin ameliorated hypoxia and reduced ROS production and dysfunctional mitochondria, leading to decreased mitophagy and restored insulin secretion.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

We demonstrated that CMMR mice enabled the evaluation of mitophagy in beta cells. Our results suggested that metabolic stress induced by the HFD caused the aberrant accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria, which overwhelmed the mitophagic capacity and was associated with defective maintenance of mitochondrial function and impaired insulin secretion.

Increased glycolysis affects β-cell function and identity in aging and diabetes

Objective

Age is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D). We aimed to elucidate whether β-cell glucose metabolism is altered with aging and contributes to T2D.

Methods

We used senescence-accelerated mice (SAM), C57BL/6J (B6) mice, and ob/ob mice as aging models. As a diabetes model, we used db/db mice. The glucose responsiveness of insulin secretion and the [U-¹³C]-glucose metabolic flux were examined in isolated islets. We analyzed the expression of β-cell-specific genes in isolated islets and pancreatic sections as molecular signatures of β-cell identity. β cells defective in the malate-aspartate (MA) shuttle were previously generated from MIN6-K8 cells by the knockout of Got1, a component of the shuttle. We analyzed Got1 KO β cells as a model of increased glycolysis.

Results

We identified hyperresponsiveness to glucose and compromised cellular identity as dysfunctional phenotypes shared in common between aged and diabetic mouse β cells. We also observed a metabolic commonality between aged and diabetic β cells: hyperactive glycolysis through the increased expression of nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase 2 (Nmnat2), a cytosolic nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-synthesizing enzyme. Got1 KO β cells showed increased glycolysis, β-cell dysfunction, and impaired cellular identity, phenocopying aging and diabetes. Using Got1 KO β cells, we show that attenuation of glycolysis or Nmnat2 activity can restore β-cell function and identity.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that hyperactive glycolysis is a metabolic signature of aged and diabetic β cells, which may underlie age-related β-cell dysfunction and loss of cellular identity. We suggest Nmnat2 suppression as an approach to counteract age-related T2D.

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Glucose hypersensitivity and impaired identity are common features of aged and diabetic β cells.

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Metabolic tracing reveals increased glycolysis and altered NAD production in aged and diabetic β cells.

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Increased glycolysis induces β-cell dysfunction and loss of identity.

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NAD production by Nmnat2 can be targeted to restore β-cell phenotypes.