Regulation of insulin secretion from novel engineered insulinoma cell lines.

In the accompanying article, we describe the creation of novel cell lines derived from RIN 1046-38 rat insulinoma cells by stable transfection with combinations of genes encoding human insulin, GLUT2, and glucokinase. Herein we describe the regulation of insulin secretion and glucose metabolism in these new cell lines. A cell line (betaG I/17) expressing only the human proinsulin transgene exhibits a clear increase in basal insulin production (measured in the absence of secretagogues) relative to parental RIN 1046-38 cells. betaG I/17 cells engineered for high levels of GLUT2 expression and a twofold increase in glucokinase activity (betaG 49/206) or engineered for a 10-fold increase in glucokinase activity alone (betaG 40/110) exhibit a 66% and 80% suppression in basal insulin secretion relative to betaG I/17 cells, respectively. As a result, betaG 49/206 and betaG 40/110 cells exhibit potent insulin-secretory responses to glucose alone (6.1- and 7.6-fold, respectively) or to glucose plus isobutylmethylxanthine (10.8- and 15.1-fold, respectively) that are clearly larger than the corresponding responses of betaG I/17 or parental RIN 1046-38 cells. betaG 49/206 and betaG 40/110 cells also exhibit a rapid and sustained response to glucose plus isobutyl-methylxanthine in perifusion studies that is clearly larger in magnitude than that of the two control lines. Glucose dose-response studies show that both engineered and non-engineered lines respond maximally to submillimolar concentrations of glucose and that betaG 49/206 cells are the most sensitive to low concentrations of the hexose, consistent with their clearly elevated rate of [5-3H]glucose usage. Finally, 5-thioglucose, a potent inhibitor of low-K(m) hexokinases, most effectively normalizes glucose concentration dependence for insulin secretion in the cell line with highest glucokinase expression (betaG 40/110). We conclude that GLUT2 and/or glucokinase expression imposes tight regulation of basal insulin secretion in cell lines that overexpress human proinsulin, allowing a marked improvement in the range of secretagogue responsiveness in such cells.

Elevated free fatty acids induce uncoupling protein 3 expression in muscle: a potential explanation for the effect of fasting.

The newly described uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) may make an important contribution to thermogenesis in humans because of its high level of expression in skeletal muscle. Contrary to expectations, fasting, a condition that reduces resting energy expenditure, has been reported to increase UCP3 expression in muscle. We have confirmed that a 10-fold increase in UCP3 mRNA levels occurs in rat quadriceps muscle between 12 and 24 h of food removal. A less consistent twofold increase in muscle UCP2 mRNA levels was observed in animals fasted for up to 72 h. Administration of recombinant leptin to prevent a fall in circulating leptin levels did not eliminate the fasting-induced increase in quadriceps UCP3 expression. Administration of a high dose of glucocorticoid to fed animals to mimic the increase in corticosterone induced by fasting did not reproduce the increase in UCP3 expression observed in fasted animals. In contrast, elevation of circulating free fatty acid levels in fed animals by Intralipid plus heparin infusion caused significant increases in the UCP3/actin mRNA ratio compared with saline-infused fed controls in both extensor digitorum longus (2.01 +/- 0.34 vs. 0.68 +/- 0.11, P = 0.002) and soleus muscles (0.31 +/- 0.07 vs. 0.09 +/- 0.02, P = 0.014). We conclude that free fatty acids are a potential mediator of the increase in muscle UCP3 expression that occurs during fasting. This seemingly paradoxical induction of UCP3 may be linked to the use of free fatty acid as a fuel rather than an increased need of the organism to dissipate energy.

Hexokinase of rat brain mitochondria: relative importance of adenylate kinase and oxidative phosphorylation as sources of substrate ATP, and interaction with intramitochondrial compartments of ATP and ADP.

Interactions between intramitochondrial ATP-generating, ADP-requiring processes and ATP-requiring, ADP-generating phosphorylation of glucose by mitochondrially bound hexokinase (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) have been investigated using well-coupled mitochondria isolated from rat brain. ADP generated by mitochondrially bound hexokinase was more effective at stimulating respiration than was ADP generated by hexokinase dissociated from the mitochondria, and pyruvate kinase was less effective as a scavenger of ADP generated by the mitochondrially bound hexokinase than was the case with ADP generated by the dissociated enzyme. These results indicate that ADP generated by the mitochondrially bound enzyme is at least partially sequestered and directed toward the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation apparatus. Under the conditions of these experiments, the maximum rate of ATP production by oxidative phosphorylation was approximately 10-fold greater than the maximum rate of ATP generation by the adenylate kinase reaction. Moreover, during periods of active oxidative phosphorylation, adenylate kinase made no detectable contribution to ATP production. Thus, adenylate kinase does not represent a major source of ATP for hexokinase bound to actively phosphorylating brain mitochondria. With adenylate kinase as the sole source of ATP, a steady state was attained in which ATP formation was balanced by utilization in the hexokinase reaction. In contrast, when oxidative phosphorylation was the source of ATP, a steady state rate of Glc phosphorylation was attained, but it was equivalent to only about 40-50% of the rate of ATP production and thus there was a continued net increase in ATP concentration in the system. Rates of Glc phosphorylation with ATP generated by oxidative phosphorylation exceeded those seen with equivalent levels of exogenously added ATP. Moreover, at total ATP concentrations greater than approximately 0.2 mM, hexokinase bound to actively phosphorylating mitochondria was unresponsive to continued slow increases in ATP levels; acute increase in ATP (by addition of exogenous nucleotide) did, however, result in increased hexokinase activity. The relative insensitivity of mitochondrially bound hexokinase to extramitochondrial ATP suggested dependence on an intramitochondrial pool (or pools) of ATP during active oxidative phosphorylation. Two intramitochondrial compartments of ATP were identified based on their selective release by inhibitors of electron transport or oxidative phosphorylation. These compartments were distinguished by their sensitivity to inhibitors and the kinetics with which they were filled with ATP generated by oxidative phosphorylation. Exogenous glycerol kinase competed effectively with mitochondrially bound hexokinase for extramitochondrial ATP, with relatively low levels of glycerol kinase completely inhibiting phosphorylation of Glc.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Interaction of mitochondrially bound rat brain hexokinase with intramitochondrial compartments of ATP generated by oxidative phosphorylation and creatine kinase.

Previous work led to the conclusion that, during oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrially bound hexokinase (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) from rat brain was dependent on intramitochondrially compartmented ATP as substrate. The present study demonstrated that, when oxidative phosphorylation was functioning concurrently, mitochondrial creatine kinase could also generate intramitochondrial ATP serving as substrate for hexokinase. In the absence of concurrent oxidative phosphorylation, the kinetics of glucose phosphorylation with ATP generated by creatine kinase were not consistent with the supply of ATP from a saturable intramitochondrial compartment as formed during oxidative phosphorylation. Evidence for intramitochondrially compartmented ATP, generated by creatine kinase, was obtained; this was distinct from compartmented ATP generated by oxidative phosphorylation in terms of kinetics of generation of the compartment and its capacity, sensitivity to release by carboxyatractyloside, and sensitivity to disruption by digitonin. That oxidative phosphorylation did induce a dependence on intramitochondrial ATP as a substrate was further indicated by the observation that, although the initial rate of glucose phosphorylation by mitochondrial hexokinase depended on the extramitochondrial concentration of ATP present at the time oxidative phosphorylation was initiated, a final steady state rate of glucose phosphorylation was attained that was independent of extramitochondrial ATP levels. These and previous results emphasize the probable importance of nucleotide compartmentation in regulation of cerebral glycolytic and oxidative metabolism.

Coordinated regulation of cerebral glycolytic and oxidative metabolism, mediated by mitochondrially bound hexokinase dependent on intramitochondrially generated ATP.

Hexokinase (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) of rat brain mitochondria is associated with membrane regions thought to correspond to contact sites (regions of close interaction of the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes). Two intramitochondrial compartments of ATP also appear to be located at contact sites, and are dependent on oxidative phosphorylation for their generation. Neither of these compartments was associated with the intermembranal space containing adenylate kinase, nor was there detectable intramitochondrial compartmentation of ATP generated by the adenylate kinase reaction. Formation of these compartments was not dependent on the presence of bound hexokinase since equivalent amounts of compartmented ATP were found in mitochondria from which a major portion of the hexokinase had been removed by treatment with Glc-6-P. During active oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrially bound hexokinase is totally dependent upon intramitochondrially compartmented ATP as a substrate. Both the levels of ATP in the intramitochondrial compartments and the rate of glucose phosphorylation by mitochondrially bound hexokinase were shown to be correlated with the rate of oxidative phosphorylation. This dependence of hexokinase on intramitochondrial ATP levels that reflect the status of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism provides a mechanism by which hexokinase can serve as a mediator, coordinating the rate at which glucose is introduced into the glycolytic pathway with terminal oxidative stages of metabolism and avoiding the accumulation of lactate which has been associated with toxic effects on the brain.

Overexpression of hexokinase I in isolated islets of Langerhans via recombinant adenovirus. Enhancement of glucose metabolism and insulin secretion at basal but not stimulatory glucose levels.

Glucose metabolism and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion are thought to be controlled at the level of glucose phosphorylation in pancreatic islet beta-cells. In the current study we have investigated the importance of glucose phosphorylation by using recombinant adenovirus as a gene delivery system for isolated rat islets. Treatment of islets with a virus containing the cDNA encoding the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene (AdCMV-beta GAL) resulted in efficiencies of gene transfer of 70.3 +/- 2.5 and 61.2 +/- 2.2% in two independent experiments. Treatment of islets with a virus containing the cDNA encoding rat hexokinase I (AdCMV-HKI) resulted in a 10.7-fold increase in immunodetectable hexokinase protein and a similar increase in enzyme activity. A large percentage of the overexpressed hexokinase activity was associated with a cell fraction enriched in mitochondria. These changes in enzyme level were accompanied by a 2-fold increase in insulin release and [5-3H]glucose usage at basal glucose concentrations (3 mM). The rate of glucose usage at 20 mM glucose and the magnitude of the insulin secretory response to this stimulatory level of the sugar were unchanged relative to control islets. Overexpression of hexokinase I in isolated islets therefore creates a phenotype of elevated basal insulin release similar to that seen in islets from obese and insulin-resistant mammals. The discrepancy between the large increase in hexokinase activity and the small increase in glucose usage and insulin release may indicate, however, that other steps in glucose metabolism become rate-limiting after only modest increases in glucose-phosphorylating activity.

Engineered cell lines for insulin replacement in diabetes: current status and future prospects.

The recently completed diabetes complications and control trial has highlighted the need for improvement of insulin delivery systems for treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Despite steady improvement in methods for islet and whole pancreas transplantation over the past three decades, the broad-scale applicability of these approaches remains uncertain due in part to the difficulty and expense associated with procurement of functional tissue. To address this concern, we and others have been using the tools of molecular biology to develop cell lines with regulated insulin secretion that might serve as a surrogate for primary islets or pancreas tissue in transplantation therapy. This article seeks to provide a brief summary of the current status of this growing field, with a particular emphasis on progress in producing cell lines with appropriate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.

GLUT-2 gene transfer into insulinoma cells confers both low and high affinity glucose-stimulated insulin release. Relationship to glucokinase activity.

The rat insulinoma cell line RIN 1046-38 loses glucose-stimulated insulin secretion as a function of time in culture. We found that the loss of glucose sensing in these cells was correlated with the loss of expression of GLUT-2 and glucokinase. Stable transfection of RIN cells with a plasmid containing the GLUT-2 cDNA conferred glucose-stimulated insulin release in intermediate but not high passage cells, with the near-maximal 3-fold increase occurring at 50 microM glucose. GLUT-2 expressing cells also exhibited a larger response to the combination of 5 mM glucose + 1 microM forskolin than untransfected cells (7.9 versus 1.6-2.7-fold, respectively). GLUT-2 expressing intermediate passage, but not high passage, RIN cells exhibited a 4-fold increase in glucokinase enzymatic activity relative to nonexpressing controls. Glucokinase activity was also increased by transfer of the GLUT-2 gene into intermediate passage RIN cells via recombinant adenovirus. Preincubation of GLUT-2 expressing intermediate passage RIN cells with 2-deoxyglucose to inhibit low Km hexokinases resulted in a glucose-stimulated insulin secretion response that was shifted toward the physiologic range. These studies indicate that GLUT-2 expression confers both a high and low affinity glucose-stimulated insulin secretion response to intermediate passage RIN cells.

Pancreatic beta-cells in obesity. Evidence for induction of functional, morphologic, and metabolic abnormalities by increased long chain fatty acids.

To elucidate the mechanism of the basal hyperinsulinemia of obesity, we perfused pancreata from obese Zucker and lean Wistar rats with substimulatory concentrations of glucose. Insulin secretion at 4.2 and 5.6 mM glucose was approximately 10 times that of controls, whereas beta-cell volume fraction was increased only 4-fold and DNA per islet 3.5-fold. We therefore compared glucose usage at 1.4, 2.8, and 5.6 mM. Usage was 8-11.4 times greater in Zucker islets at 1.4 and 2.8 mM and 4 times greater at 5.6 mM; glucose oxidation at 2.8 and 5.6 mM glucose was > 12 times lean controls. To determine if the high free fatty acid (FFA) levels of obesity induce these abnormalities, normal Wistar islets were cultured with 0, 1, or 2 mM long chain FFA for 7 days. Compared to islets cultured without FFA insulin secretion by FFA-cultured islets (2 mM) perifused with 1.4, 3, or 5.6 mM glucose was increased more than 2-fold, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation was increased 3-fold, and glucose usage at 2.8 and 5.6 mM glucose was increased approximately 2-fold (1 mM FFA) and 3-fold (2 mM FFA). We conclude that hypersecretion of insulin by islets of obese Zucker fatty rats is associated with, and probably caused by, enhanced low Km glucose metabolism and beta-cell hyperplasia, abnormalities that can be induced in normal islets by increased FFA.