Nutrient Regulation of Pancreatic Islet β-Cell Secretory Capacity and Insulin Production

Abstract

Pancreatic islet β-cells exhibit tremendous plasticity for secretory adaptations that coordinate insulin production and release with nutritional demands. This essential feature of the β-cell can allow for compensatory changes that increase secretory output to overcome insulin resistance early in Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Nutrient-stimulated increases in proinsulin biosynthesis may initiate this β-cell adaptive compensation; however, the molecular regulators of secretory expansion that accommodate the increased biosynthetic burden of packaging and producing additional insulin granules, such as enhanced ER and Golgi functions, remain poorly defined. As these adaptive mechanisms fail and T2D progresses, the β-cell succumbs to metabolic defects resulting in alterations to glucose metabolism and a decline in nutrient-regulated secretory functions, including impaired proinsulin processing and a deficit in mature insulin-containing secretory granules. In this review, we will discuss how the adaptative plasticity of the pancreatic islet β-cell’s secretory program allows insulin production to be carefully matched with nutrient availability and peripheral cues for insulin signaling. Furthermore, we will highlight potential defects in the secretory pathway that limit or delay insulin granule biosynthesis, which may contribute to the decline in β-cell function during the pathogenesis of T2D.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Feb 20, 2022
Source ID
10.3390/biom12020335

Entities

People

  • Cierra K. Boyer
  • Kristen E Rohli
  • Samuel B Stephens
  • Sandra E. Blom

Organizations

  • National Institutes of Health
  • United States Department of Defense

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Cellular and Molecular Pathways of Apoptosis.
  • Molecular and Cellular Biology