Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dahae Lee, Young-Mi Kim, Hyun Woo Kim, You-Kyoung Choi, Bang Ju Park, Sang Hoon Joo, Ki Sung Kang
Summary: Schisandrol A and schisandrin C enhanced insulin secretion and glucose uptake, with schisandrin C showing superior effects compared to gliclazide. Treatment with schisandrin C resulted in increased expression of associated proteins in cells, potentially benefiting in improving hyperglycemia.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Qicheng Ni, Jiaxi Song, Yichen Wang, Jiajun Sun, Jing Xie, Jun Zhang, Guang Ning, Weiqing Wang, Qidi Wang
Summary: The study reveals intercellular heterogeneity of mTORC1 activities in human islets. Islet mTORC1 activity is independently correlated with fasting blood glucose levels in nondiabetic individuals, but not in impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetic individuals. Interestingly, mTORC1 activity is significantly higher in impaired fasting glucose individuals compared to nondiabetic individuals, and it plays a role in beta-cell adaptation or failure in diabetes progression.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Chien-Ting Wu, Peter Lidsky, Yinghong Xiao, Ivan T. Lee, Ran Cheng, Tsuguhisa Nakayama, Sizun Jiang, Janos Demeter, Romina J. Bevacqua, Charles A. Chang, Robert L. Whitener, Anna K. Stalder, Bokai Zhu, Han Chen, Yury Goltsev, Alexandar Tzankov, Jayakar Nayak, Garry P. Nolan, Matthias S. Matter, Raul Andino, Peter K. Jackson
Summary: There is evidence suggesting a complex relationship between COVID-19 and diabetes, with SARS-CoV-2 being able to directly induce beta cell killing and this effect being rescued by NRP1 inhibition.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
H. Sho, K. Fukui, S. Yoneda, S. Toyoda, H. Ozawa, C. Ishibashi, Y. Fujita, H. Eguchi, J. Kozawa, I Shimomura
Summary: Insulinoma is associated with reduced expression of GLUT2 and GLPIR in non-tumor area islets, possibly due to high levels of insulin.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Chirag Jain, Ansarullah, Sara Bilekova, Heiko Lickert
Summary: This review discusses emerging concepts in diabetes therapy that focus on altering the biology and function of beta cells, such as insulin signaling, proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and the selective killing of senescent beta cells. The review highlights that targeting beta cells pharmacologically can protect and regenerate beta cells, leading to improved treatment outcomes for patients with diabetes.
Review
Cell Biology
Kai M. Bracey, Guoqiang Gu, Irina Kaverina
Summary: Pancreatic islet beta cells regulate glucose homeostasis through the secretion of insulin, which is facilitated by a unique microtubule network with specific features. The functionality of this network involves the interplay of molecular motors and metabolic pathways, which are still not fully understood.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Huixia Ren, Yanjun Li, Chengsheng Han, Yi Yu, Bowen Shi, Xiaohong Peng, Shufang Wu, Xiaojing Yang, Sneppen Kim, Liangyi Chen, Chao Tang, Tianming Zhang
Summary: The Ca2+ modulated pulsatile glucagon and insulin secretions by pancreatic alpha and beta cells play a crucial role in glucose homeostasis. However, the coordination between alpha and beta cells in producing different Ca2+ oscillation patterns is still unclear. This study used a microfluidic device and transgenic mice to record Ca2+ signals from islet alpha and beta cells and observed heterogeneous Ca2+ oscillation patterns intrinsic to each islet. The results showed that after glucose stimulation, the oscillations of alpha and beta cells were globally phase-locked, with a fixed time delay in the activation of alpha cells compared to beta cells and a tunable period in the activation of beta cells. The number of islet alpha cells was also found to be correlated with oscillation frequency. A mathematical model incorporating paracrine interactions was built and quantitatively agreed with the experimental data, highlighting the importance of cell-cell interaction in generating stable but tunable islet oscillation patterns.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Azkia Khan, Jintao Cheng, Anastasia Kitashova, Lisa Fuertauer, Thomas Naegele, Cristiana Picco, Joachim Scholz-Starke, Isabel Keller, H. Ekkehard Neuhaus, Benjamin Pommerrenig
Summary: The ERDL4 protein in Arabidopsis is involved in fructose allocation and regulation of monosaccharide balance in the vacuolar membrane. Overexpression of ERDL4 increases total sugar levels by upregulating TST2 expression. ERDL4 activity is regulated by diurnal rhythm and cold acclimation and contributes to plant organ development and stress tolerance.
Article
Biology
Anila Khalique, Abdul Khader Mohammed, Nujood Mohammed Al-khadran, Mutaz Al Gharaibeh, Eman Abu-Gharbieh, Waseem El-Huneidi, Nabil Sulaiman, Jalal Taneera
Summary: Vitamin A receptor RARβ plays a crucial role in insulin secretion and pancreatic beta-cell function, as silencing RARβ can impair insulin secretion and increase reactive oxygen species production. This may be linked to the development of type 2 diabetes.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Tobias M. Backes, Daniel S. Langfermann, Andrea Lesch, Oliver G. Rossler, Matthias W. Laschke, Charles Vinson, Gerald Thiel
Summary: The study revealed that activation of the Ca(v)1.2 calcium channel connects gene transcription in pancreatic beta-cells through the kinase c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase and transcription factor AP-1.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Xingjing Liu, Peng Sun, Qingzhao Yuan, Jinyang Xie, Ting Xiao, Kai Zhang, Xiu Chen, Yao Wang, Li Yuan, Xiao Han
Summary: CASK plays a role in insulin vesicle secretion and has an impact on the development of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.
Article
Cell Biology
Margret A. Fye, Irina Kaverina
Summary: Pancreatic beta cells secrete insulin to maintain glucose homeostasis and prevent diseases like diabetes. Insulin secretion is efficiently achieved by clustering secretion events at the cell membrane, forming insulin secretion hot spots. Proteins associated with the cytoskeleton have been found to localize and function at these hot spots. Microtubules and F-actin are involved in regulating these hot spot proteins and their role in secretion, and mechanical regulation may also play a role.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Anna Salowka, Aida Martinez-Sanchez
Summary: This study summarizes the different molecular mechanisms that control the expression and function of miRNAs, including transcription, stability, posttranscriptional modifications, and interaction with RNA binding proteins and other non-coding RNAs. It also discusses which of these mechanisms are responsible for the nutrient-mediated regulation of beta-cell miRNA activity and identifies some of the more important knowledge gaps in the field.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Althea N. Waldhart, Brejnev Muhire, Ben Johnson, Dean Pettinga, Zachary B. Madaj, Emily Wolfrum, Holly Dykstra, Vanessa Wegert, J. Andrew Pospisilik, Xianlin Han, Ning Wu
Summary: The study shows that mice lacking TXNIP have lower levels of PUFAs in their mitochondrial membrane lipids, affecting mitochondrial function and causing lower heat output. This phenotype can be rescued by a ketogenic diet, confirming the usefulness of this model in understanding early cellular damage caused by excess glucose influx.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Sara McEwan, Hyokjoon Kwon, Azeddine Tahiri, Nivetha Shanmugarajah, Weikang Cai, Jin Ke, Tianwen Huang, Ariana Belton, Bhagat Singh, Le Wang, Zhiping P. Pang, Ercument Dirice, Esteban A. Engel, Abdelfattah El Ouaamari
Summary: The study reveals a sex difference in sensory innervation density in the pancreas, with male mice showing higher abundance of sensory neurons projecting in the pancreas. Sensory chemodenervation in male mice enhances glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and glucose clearance, with these metabolic benefits being influenced by sex hormones and potential gonadal hormone-independent mechanisms. Sex-biased nature of sensory control of islet beta-cell activity might be a result of neurodevelopmental inputs, sex hormone-dependent mechanisms, and the action of somatic molecules encoded by sex chromosome complement.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2021)