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 investigated transthyretin (TTR) in the pancreases and sera of 10 newly diagnosed type I diabetic patients by immunohistochemistry and nephelometry. In the type I diabetic pancreases, glucagon-positive A-cells showed strong immunoreactivity for TTR, the intensity and distribution pattern of which corresponded to those in normal subjects. Morphometric analysis revealed that the amount of strongly TTR-positive A-cells was not significantly different from that in normal subjects. On the contrary, insulin-positive B-cells, which normally show uneven and weak TTR immunoreactivity, decreased in number, and only a few residual B-cells showed faint immunoreactivity. Neither somatostatin cells nor pancreatic polypeptide cells were positive for TTR. The serum TTR concentration showed a significant decrease in type I diabetic patients compared with that in normal subjects (P less than 0.005). These data suggest that the synthesis or storage of TTR in A-cells is not affected, but that in B-cells is impaired in type I diabetes. The decrease in serum TTR might be one of the features of metabolic disorders in type I diabetes.
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PMID:Transthyretin (prealbumin) in the pancreas and sera of newly diagnosed type I (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients. 159 83

The occurrence of transthyretin (TTR) in 25 endocrine pancreatic tumors was investigated by immunohistochemical methods using both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. All malignant insulinomas were strongly TTR immunoreactive, more so than their benign counterparts, which in some cases were TTR negative. All glucagonomas and nonfunctioning tumors were TTR immunoreactive, whereas gastrinomas and VIPomas were TTR negative. TTR, chromogranin A, and the argyrophil reaction (Grimelius' silver technique) had similar distributions among the cells in many, but not all, tumors. Coexistence of TTR with glucagon, insulin, or pancreatic polypeptide in tumor cells was demonstrated. TTR was also quantitated in preoperative serum samples by electroimmuno assay in some cases. Although one patient with a glucagonoma had a markedly increased serum TTR level, five other patients with endocrine tumors, including two patients with glucagonoma, had TTR levels in serum that were within or below the reference range.
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PMID:Transthyretin in endocrine pancreatic tumors. 246 44

We examined transthyretin immunoreactivity (TTR-IR) in human and porcine liver, choroid plexus, and pancreatic islets with both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to TTR. The specificity of the immunoreactions and the effects of various fixatives were tested in immunohistochemical and dot-blot systems. B-5 fixative (mercuric chloride and sodium acetate in formalin) was the best immunopreservative. In both species, the TTR-IR in choroid plexus epithelial cells was strong and was much greater than that in hepatocytes. Glucagon cells in pancreatic islets were also strongly TTR immunoreactive. Insulin cells were slightly TTR immunoreactive in human but strongly so in porcine pancreas. The finding of TTR-IR in normal islets explains the presence of TTR-IR in human endocrine pancreatic tumors, notably glucagonomas and malignant insulinomas.
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PMID:Transthyretin immunoreactivity in human and porcine liver, choroid plexus, and pancreatic islets. 264 94

In situ hybridization with 35S-labeled single stranded RNA probes was used on sections from formaldehyde-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue specimens to provide semiquantitative data on the occurrence of transthyretin(TTR)-mRNA in human liver, choroid plexus and pancreatic islets as well as in 15 endocrine tumours of the pancreas and gut. A monoclonal antibody to TTR was used for immunocytochemical identification of the protein in consecutive sections. The amount of TTR-mRNA in hepatocytes was found to be much less than that in epithelial cells of the choroid plexus. Glucagon cells of the pancreatic islets were also specifically labeled and the level of TTR-mRNA in these cells was intermediate between that of hepatocytes and choroid plexus epithelial cells. Four glucagonomas, one malignant insulinoma and two midgut carcinoids were shown to contain TTR-mRNA. The 'in situ' labeled cells were also found to be TTR immunoreactive. These findings present the first conclusive evidence for TTR synthesis in pancreatic islets and in endocrine tumours. They also establish that the high serum concentration of TTR found in some patients with endocrine tumours (notably glucagonomas) is most likely due to tumour production of TTR.
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PMID:In situ localization of transthyretin-mRNA in the adult human liver, choroid plexus and pancreatic islets and in endocrine tumours of the pancreas and gut. 265 58

The immunohistochemical localization of plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP), cellular retinol-binding protein (CRBP), and transthyretin (TTR) was studied in rat pancreas. The studies employed antibodies purified by immunosorbent affinity chromatography, permitting the specific staining and localization of each antigen by the unlabeled peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. Specific immunostaining for each of these three proteins was found localized to the islets of Langerhans. Both RBP and CRBP were localized in cells that were peripherally distributed within the islets, with an anatomic distribution that resembled that of the glucagon-containing A cells. Immunoreactive TTR was localized in cells that were more centrally distributed in the islets, with an anatomic distribution that resembled that of the insulin-containing B cells. These findings were confirmed by radioimmunoassay of a homogenate of isolated rat islets. By using sensitive and specific radioimmunoassays for each antigen, unusually high levels of CRBP, RBP, TTR, and cellular retinoic acid-binding protein (CRABP) were found in rat islets. The physiological significance of the localization of RBP, CRBP, CRABP, and TTR in the islets is not known. The findings suggest that retinoids and their binding proteins may play important metabolic roles within islet cells, and hence that they may be involved in some way in the biological, endocrine, function of the islets.
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PMID:Plasma and cellular retinoid-binding proteins and transthyretin (prealbumin) are all localized in the islets of Langerhans in the rat. 298 19

Studies were conducted to explore hormonal and nutritional factors that might be involved in the regulation of retinol-binding protein (RBP) synthesis and secretion by the liver. The studies employed primary cultures of hepatocytes from normal rats. When cells were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium alone, a high rate of RBP secretion was observed initially, which declined and became quite low by 24 hr. Supplementing the medium with amino acids maintained RBP and albumin secretion at moderate (but less than initial) rates for at least 3 days. Further addition of dexamethasone maintained the production and secretion rates of RBP, transthyretin, and albumin close to the initial rates for up to 3-5 days in culture. The effects of dexamethasone were not rapid and were not specific for RBP; half-maximal effects were seen at 10(-9) to 10(-8) M levels. Hormonally treated hepatocytes produced and secreted RBP, transthyretin, and albumin at both absolute and relative rates similar to physiological values, as estimated from rates reported by others from studies in vivo (with both rats and humans) and with perfused livers. Glucagon addition partially maintained the secretion rates of these 3 proteins, but less effectively than did dexamethasone. A number of other hormones, added singly or in combination, did not affect RBP production or secretion. Addition of retinol to the cultured normal hepatocytes was without effect upon RBP secretion. These studies show that supplementing the culture medium of hepatocytes with amino acids and dexamethasone maintains RBP production and secretion for several days. In normal hepatocytes, with ample supply of retinol available within the cell, addition of exogenous retinol does not appear to influence RBP metabolism or secretion by the cells.
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PMID:Effects of nutritional and hormonal factors on the metabolism of retinol-binding protein by primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. 380 30

The Forkhead box (Fox) transcription factor Foxa2 (HNF-3beta) and related family members Foxa1 (HNF-3alpha) and Foxa3 (HNF-3gamma) act in concert with other hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNF) to coordinately regulate liver-specific gene expression. To circumvent the hepatic functional redundancy of the Foxa proteins, we used the T-77 transgenic (TG) mouse line in which the -3-kb transthyretin (TTR) promoter functioned to increase hepatocyte expression of the Foxa2 cDNA. Adult TG mice exhibited reduced hepatic glycogen and progressive liver injury, but maintained normal serum levels of glucose, insulin, and glucagon. In this study, we further characterized the postnatal liver defect in TTR-FoxA2 TG mice. The postnatal TG mice displayed significant reduction in serum glucose levels and in hepatocyte glycogen storage without increased serum levels of ketone bodies and free fatty acid suggesting that they are not undergoing a starvation response. We show that TG liver developed a substantial transient steatosis, which reached a maximum at postnatal day 5 and is associated with increased expression of hepatic genes involved in fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis, lipid beta-oxidation, and amino acid biosynthesis. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy analysis of postnatal TG liver revealed extensive mitochondrial membrane damage, which is likely due to reactive oxygen species generated from lipid beta-oxidation. In conclusion, our model proposes that in response to reduction in hepatocyte glycogen storage, the TTR-Foxa2 TG mice survive by maintaining sufficient serum levels of glucose through gluconeogenesis using deaminated amino acids with dicarboxylate products of peroxisomal lipid beta-oxidation shuttled through the tricarboxylic acid cycle.
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PMID:Elevated hepatocyte levels of the Forkhead box A2 (HNF-3beta) transcription factor cause postnatal steatosis and mitochondrial damage. 1277 21

Transthyretin (TTR) is a major amyloid fibril protein in certain systemic forms of amyloidosis. It is a plasma protein, mainly synthesized by the liver but expression occurs also at certain minor locations, including the endocrine cells in the islets of Langerhans. With the use of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, we have studied the distribution of transthyretin-containing cells in islets of Langerhans in type-2 diabetic and nondiabetic individuals. TTR expression was particularly seen in alpha (glucagon) cells. Islets from type-2 diabetic patients had proportionally more transthyretin-reactive islet cells, including beta cells. A weak transthyretin immunoreaction in IAPP-derived amyloid occurred in some specimens. In seeding experiments in vitro, we found that TTR fibrils did not seed IAPP while IAPP fibrils seeded TTR. It is suggested that islet expression of transthyretin may be altered in type-2 diabetes.
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PMID:Transthyretin and amyloid in the islets of Langerhans in type-2 diabetes. 1882 72

Although transthyretin (TTR) is expressed in pancreatic alpha (glucagon) cells in the islets of Langerhans, the function of TTR in pancreatic alpha cells remains unknown. In this study, by using TTR knockout (TTR KO) mice, we determined the novel role of TTR in glucose homeostasis. We demonstrated that TTR KO mice evidenced impaired recovery of blood glucose and glucagon levels. Lack of TTR induced significantly lower levels of glucagon in the islets of Langerhans. These results suggest that TTR expressed in pancreatic alpha cells may play important roles in glucose homeostasis via regulating the expression of glucagon.
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PMID:Novel function of transthyretin in pancreatic alpha cells. 2310 50

Insulin chains are usually expressed in Escherichia coli as fusion proteins with different tags, including various low molecular weight peptide tags. The objective of this study was to determine if insulin chains could facilitate the recombinant expression of other target proteins, with an emphasis on low molecular weight peptides. A series of short peptides were fused to mini-proinsulin, chain B or chain A, and induced for expression in Escherichia coli. All the tested peptides including glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a C-terminal extended GLP-1, oxyntomodulin, enfuvirtide, linaclotide, and an unstructured artificial peptide were expressed with reasonable yields, identified by Tricine-SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. All recombinant products were expressed in inclusion bodies. The effective accumulation of products was largely attributed to the insoluble expression induced by fusion with insulin chains, and was confirmed by the fusion expression of transthyretin. Insulin chains thus show promise as efficient fusion tags for mass production of heterologous peptides in prokaryotes.
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PMID:Insulin chains as efficient fusion tags for prokaryotic expression of short peptides. 2871 31


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