Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01275 (glucagon)
 26,492 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We have previously identified a novel population of small cells in human and canine pancreas characterized by immature morphology, quiescence, and a glucose-responsive insulin secretion. Based on their immature phenotype and predominant presence in small islets, we have hypothesized that small cells serve as islet progenitors. This hypothesis remains untested, however, due to persistent quiescence and scarcity of small cells in vitro. We have recently developed a culture medium that allowed for modest small cell proliferation. In this study we characterized the expression of genes potentially involved in small cell growth regulation by Q-RT-PCR. Our results suggest that quiescence of small cells correlates with up-regulation of Cdk inhibitors p27(Kip1), p16(INK4a) and p21(CIP1), PTEN, Hep27 and Foxo1a and with down-regulation of c-Myc and the receptors for EGF, FGF2 and HGF. The exit from quiescence correlates with activation of EGFR expression and down-regulation of p27(Kip1) and p16(INK4a). We also report here that small cells can be maintained in long-term non-adherent cultures preserving insulin and glucagon production for up to 208 days. Therefore, expansion of small cells in vitro may have a significant potential for the treatment of diabetes. This study is an important step in understanding the mechanisms involved in small cell growth regulation, which is required to fully evaluate their functional potential.
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PMID:Pancreatic small cells: analysis of quiescence, long-term maintenance and insulin expression in vitro. 1727 Jan 72

WNT signals are transduced to the canonical pathway for cell fate determination, and to the noncanonical pathway for control of cell movement and tissue polarity. Canonical WNT signals are transduced through Frizzled family receptors and LRP5/LRP6 coreceptor to the beta-catenin signaling cascade. Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase (PAR-1) family kinases, casein kinase I epsilon (CKI epsilon), and FRAT are positive regulators of the canonical WNT pathway, whereas APC, AXIN1, AXIN2, CKI alpha, NKD1, NKD2, beta TRCP1, beta TRCP2, ANKRD6, Nemo-like kinase (NLK), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) are negative regulators. Nuclear complex, consisting of T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor, beta-catenin, BCL9/BCL9L, and PYGO, activates transcription of canonical WNT target genes such as FGF20, DKK1, WISP1, MYC, CCND1, and Glucagon (GCG). Noncanonical WNT signals are transduced through Frizzled family receptors and ROR2/RYK coreceptors to the Dishevelled-dependent (Rho family GTPases and c-jun NH(2)-terminal kinase) or the Ca(2+)-dependent (NLK and nuclear factor of activated T cells) signaling cascades. WNT signals are context-dependently transduced to both pathways based on the expression profile of WNT, SFRP, WIF, DKK, Frizzled receptors, coreceptors, and the activity of intracellular WNT signaling regulators. Epigenetic silencing and loss-of-function mutation of negative regulators of the canonical WNT pathway occur in a variety of human cancer. WNT, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), Notch, Hedgehog, and transforming growth factor beta/bone morphogenetic protein signaling network are implicated in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis by regulating self-renewal of normal stem cells as well as proliferation or differentiation of progenitor (transit-amplifying) cells. Breakage of the stem cell signaling network leads to carcinogenesis. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and PPAR gamma agonists with the potential to inhibit the canonical WNT signaling pathway are candidate agents for chemoprevention. ZTM000990 and PKF118-310 are lead compounds targeted to the canonical WNT signaling cascade. Anti-WNT1 and anti-WNT2 monoclonal antibodies show in vitro effects in cancer treatment. After the optimization, derivatives of small-molecule compound and human monoclonal antibody targeted to the WNT signaling pathway could be used in cancer medicine.
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PMID:WNT signaling pathway and stem cell signaling network. 1763 27

Numerous peptide receptors have recently been reported to be expressed or overexpressed in various human cancers. For instance, somatostatin receptors are particularly frequently expressed in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NET), including both primaries and metastases. The density is often high, and the distribution is usually homogenous. While various somatostatin receptor subtypes can be expressed in these tumors, the sst(2) is clearly predominant. These receptors represent the molecular basis for a number of clinical applications, including symptomatic therapy with octreotide in hormone-secreting GEP-NET, in vivo diagnostic with radiolabeled diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid octreotide (Octreoscan) to evaluate the extend of the disease, and (90)Y- or (177)Lu-[(90)Y-DOTA]-D: -Phe(1)-Tyr(3) octreotide radiotherapy. GEP-NET can, however, express peptide receptors other than somatostatin receptor: Insulinomas have more glucagon-like peptide 1 receptors than somatostatin receptors; gastrinomas express very high levels of secretin receptors. GEP-NET may also express cholecystokinin 2, bombesin, neuropeptide Y, or vasoactive intestinal peptide receptors. Often, several of these peptide receptors are expressed simultaneously in GEP-NET, providing a molecular basis for in vivo multireceptor targeting of those tumors.
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PMID:Peptide receptor expression in GEP-NET. 1768 67

During pancreatic development insulin(+) cells co-express the transcription factors MafB and Pax6, and transition from a MafA(-) to MafA(+) state. To examine the role of Pax6 and MafB in the development of beta-cells, we analyzed embryonic pancreata from Pax6- and MafB-deficient mice. Pax6 deficiency, as manifest in the Pax6(Sey-Neu) allele, reduced not only the number of cells expressing insulin or glucagon, but also the number of MafB, PDX-1 and MafA expressing cells. We show that MafB can directly activate expression of insulin and glucagon, and a MafB protein engineered to contain N248S mutation in the MafB (kr(ENU)) results in significantly reduced activation. Furthermore, pancreata from MafB deficient (kr(ENU)/kr(ENU)) mice exhibited reduced number of cells expressing insulin, glucagon, PDX-1 and MafA, with only a minor reduction in MafB expressing cells. MafB deficiency does not affect endocrine specification but does affect the lineage commitment of the endocrine cells and their maturation. Similar to Pax6 deficient mice, MafB deficient mice showed reductions both in insulin and glucagon expressing cells and in the ability of MafB and PDX-1 expressing cells to activate expression of these hormones. However, MafB deficient mice exhibited no effect on Pax6 expression. These results suggest that MafB may function as a downstream mediator of Pax6 in regulating the specification of insulin and glucagon expressing cells. Interestingly, the remaining insulin(+) cells in these knockouts preferentially express Hb9, suggesting the existence of an alternate pathway for the generation of insulin expressing cells, even in the absence of Pax6 and MafB function. Thus, Pax6 acts upstream of MafB, which in turn may trigger the expression of insulin and regulate the PDX-1 and MafA expression required for beta-cell maturation.
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PMID:Preferential reduction of beta cells derived from Pax6-MafB pathway in MafB deficient mice. 1819 33

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a polypeptide hormone secreted from enteroendocrine L cells and potentiates glucose-dependent insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells. Recently the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1 R) has been a focus for new anti-diabetic therapy with the introduction of GLP-1 analogues and DPP-IV inhibitors, and this has stimulated additional interest in the mechanisms of GLP-1 signaling. Here we identify a mechanism for GLP-1 action, showing that the scaffold protein beta-arrestin-1 mediates the effects of GLP-1 to stimulate cAMP production and insulin secretion in beta cells. Using a coimmunoprecipitation technique, we also found a physical association between the GLP-1 R and beta-arrestin-1 in cultured INS-1 pancreatic beta cells. beta-Arrestin-1 knockdown broadly attenuated GLP-1 signaling, causing decreased ERK and CREB activation and IRS-2 expression as well as reduced cAMP levels and impaired insulin secretion. However, beta-arrestin-1 knockdown did not affect GLP-1 R surface expression and ligand-induced GLP-1 R internalization/desensitization. Taken together, these studies indicate that beta-arrestin-1 plays a role in GLP-1 signaling leading to insulin secretion, defining a previously undescribed mechanism for GLP-1 action.
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PMID:Beta-Arrestin-1 mediates glucagon-like peptide-1 signaling to insulin secretion in cultured pancreatic beta cells. 1844 52

Pancreatic islet development is impaired in mice lacking EGFRs (epidermal growth factor receptors). Even partial tissue-specific attenuation of EGFR signalling in the islets leads to markedly reduced beta-cell proliferation and development of diabetes during the first weeks after birth. Out of the many EGFR ligands, betacellulin has been specifically associated with positive effects on beta-cell growth, through both increased proliferation and neogenesis. EGFR action is also necessary for the beta-cell mitogenic activity of the gut hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1). Finally, in vitro models demonstrate a central role for EGFR in transdifferentiation of pancreatic acinar and ductal cells into endocrine islet cells. EGFR thus plays an essential role in beta-cell mass regulation, but its mechanisms of action remain poorly understood.
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PMID:EGF receptor in pancreatic beta-cell mass regulation. 1848 42

Pancreatic beta-cell homeostasis is a balance between programmed cell death (apoptosis) and regeneration. Although autoimmune diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) is the most-studied cause of beta-cell mass loss by pro-inflammatory cytokine-induced apoptosis, influences of a pro-inflammatory environment on beta-cell regenerative response have been poorly studied. In this study, we assess the anti-proliferative effect of pro-inflammatory cytokines and glucose concentration on rat pancreatic beta cells and the potential protective role of glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1). Apoptotic and proliferating islet cells were stained using the DeadEnd Fluorimetric TUNEL System and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine label respectively, in the presence-absence of varying concentrations of glucose, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and GLP-1. The potential signaling pathways involved were evaluated by western blot. Considerable anti-proliferative effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1beta, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were observed. The effects were synergistic and independent of glucose concentration, and appeared to be mediated by the inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation, the signaling pathway involved in beta-cell replication. GLP-1 completely reversed the cytokine-induced inhibition of ERK phosphorylation and increased beta-cell proliferation threefold in cytokine-treated cultures. While pro-inflammatory cytokines reduced islet cell ERK1/2 activation and beta-cell proliferation in pancreatic islet culture, GLP-1 was capable of reversing this effect. These data suggest a possible pharmacological application of GLP-1 in the treatment of early stage DM1, to prevent the loss of pancreatic beta cells as well as to delay the development of overt diabetes.
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PMID:Anti-proliferative effect of pro-inflammatory cytokines in cultured beta cells is associated with extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway inhibition: protective role of glucagon-like peptide -1. 1848 29

WNT family members are secreted-type glycoproteins to orchestrate embryogenesis, to maintain homeostasis, and to induce pathological conditions. FZD1, FZD2, FZD3, FZD4, FZD5, FZD6, FZD7, FZD8, FZD9, FZD10, LRP5, LRP6, and ROR2 are transmembrane receptors transducing WNT signals based on ligand-dependent preferentiality for caveolin- or clathrin-mediated endocytosis. WNT signals are transduced to canonical pathway for cell fate determination, and to non-canonical pathways for regulation of planar cell polarity, cell adhesion, and motility. MYC, CCND1, AXIN2, FGF20, WISP1, JAG1, DKK1 and Glucagon are target genes of canonical WNT signaling cascade, while CD44, Vimentin and STX5 are target genes of non-canonical WNT signaling cascades. However, target genes of WNT signaling cascades are determined in a context-dependent manner due to expression profile of transcription factors and epigenetic status. WNT signaling cascades network with Notch, FGF, BMP and Hedgehog signaling cascades to regulate the balance of stem cells and progenitor cells. Here WNT signaling in embryonic stem cells, neural stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, and intestinal stem cells will be reviewed. WNT3, WNT5A and WNT10B are expressed in undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells, while WNT6, WNT8B and WNT10B in endoderm precursor cells. Wnt6 is expressed in intestinal crypt region for stem or progenitor cells. TNF/alpha-WNT10B signaling is a negative feedback loop to maintain homeostasis of adipose tissue and gastrointestinal mucosa with chronic inflammation. Recombinant WNT protein or WNT mimetic (circular peptide, small molecule compound, or RNA aptamer) in combination with Notch mimetic, FGF protein, and BMP protein opens a new window to tissue engineering for regenerative medicine.
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PMID:WNT signaling in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. 1867 42

Terminally ill insulin-deficient rodents with uncontrolled diabetes due to autoimmune or chemical destruction of beta-cells were made hyperleptinemic by adenoviral transfer of the leptin gene. Within approximately 10 days their severe hyperglycemia and ketosis were corrected. Despite the lack of insulin, moribund animals resumed linear growth and appeared normal. Normoglycemia persisted 10-80 days without other treatment; normal physiological conditions lasted for approximately 175 days despite reappearance of moderate hyperglycemia. Inhibition of gluconeogenesis by suppression of hyperglucagonemia and reduction of hepatic cAMP response element-binding protein, phoshoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma-coactivator-1alpha may explain the anticatabolic effect. Up-regulation of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) expression and plasma levels and increasing IGF-1 receptor phosphorylation in muscle may explain the increased insulin receptor substrate 1, PI3K, and ERK phosphorylation in skeletal muscle. These findings suggest that leptin reverses the catabolic consequences of total lack of insulin, potentially by suppressing glucagon action on liver and enhancing the insulinomimetic actions of IGF-1 on skeletal muscle, and suggest strategies for making type 1 diabetes insulin-independent.
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PMID:Making insulin-deficient type 1 diabetic rodents thrive without insulin. 1877 78

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) acts through RET receptor tyrosine kinase and its co-receptor GFRalpha1. In an effort to better understand the possible biological contribution of the GDNF and GFRalpha1/RET complex in pancreatic development, in this study we report the cellular localization of these proteins in the pancreas of domestic cat embryos and fetuses by immunocytochemical methods. In early embryos, GDNF, GFRalpha and RET immunoreactivity (IR) was localized in closely intermingled cells. GDNF and RET immunoreactive cells displayed chromogranin (an endocrine marker) and PGP 9.5 (a neuronal marker) IR, respectively. GFRalpha IR was present in both a few GDNF/chromogranin and RET/PGP 9.5 immunoreactive cells. In elderly fetuses, GDNF and GFRalpha IR were co-localized in glucagon cells and RET IR was detected in few neurons and never co-localized with GFRalpha or GDNF IR. In early embryos, the presence of GDNF IR in chromogranin immunoreactive cells and GFRalpha1/RET complex IR in PGP9.5 immunoreactive cells seems to suggest a paracrine action of GDNF contained in endocrine cell precursors on neuronal cell precursors expressing its receptor complex. The presence in different cell populations of RET and its co-receptor GFRalpha1 IR could be due to independent signaling of GRFalpha1. Thus, the co-presence of GDNF and GFRalpha1 in chromogranin and glucagon cells could lead to the hypothesis that GDNF can act in an autocrinal manner. In fetuses, RET IR was detected only in intrapancreatic ganglia. Because of the lack of GFRalpha1 IR in pancreatic innervation, RET receptor could be activated by other GFR alphas and ligands of GDNF family. In conclusion, these findings suggest that in differently aged embryos and fetuses the GDNF signal is differently mediated by RET and GFRalpha1.
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PMID:Cellular localization of GDNF and its GFRalpha1/RET receptor complex in the developing pancreas of cat. 1901 64


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