Johan Medina

Lactisole inhibits the glucose-sensing receptor T1R3 expressed in mouse pancreatic β-cells

Glucose activates the glucose-sensing receptor T1R3 and facilitates its own metabolism in pancreatic β-cells. An inhibitor of this receptor would be helpful in elucidating the physiological function of the glucose-sensing receptor. The present study was conducted to examine whether or not lactisole can be used as an inhibitor of the glucose-sensing receptor. In MIN6 cells, in a dose-dependent manner, lactisole inhibited insulin secretion induced by sweeteners, acesulfame-K, sucralose and glycyrrhizin. The IC50 was ∼4 mmol/l. Lactisole attenuated the elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) evoked by sucralose and acesulfame-K but did not affect the elevation of intracellular cAMP concentration ([cAMP]c) induced by these sweeteners. Lactisole also inhibited the action of glucose in MIN6 cells. Thus, lactisole significantly reduced elevations of intracellular [NADH] and intracellular [ATP] induced by glucose, and also inhibited glucose-induced insulin secretion. To further examine the effect of lactisole on T1R3, we prepared HEK293 cells stably expressing mouse T1R3. In these cells, sucralose elevated both [Ca2+]c and [cAMP]c. Lactisole attenuated the sucralose-induced increase in [Ca2+]c but did not affect the elevation of [cAMP]c. Finally, lactisole inhibited insulin secretion induced by a high concentration of glucose in mouse islets. These results indicate that the mouse glucose-sensing receptor was inhibited by lactisole. Lactisole may be useful in assessing the role of the glucose-sensing receptor in mouse pancreatic β-cells.

Return of the glucoreceptor: Glucose activates the glucose-sensing receptor T1R3 and facilitates metabolism in pancreatic β-cells

Subunits of the sweet taste receptor, namely T1R2 and T1R3, are expressed in mouse pancreatic islets. Quantitatively, the expression of messenger ribonucleic acid for T1R2 is much lower than that of T1R3, and immunoreactive T1R2 is in fact undetectable. Presumably, a homodimer of T1R3 could function as a signaling receptor. Activation of this receptor by adding an artificial sweetener, sucralose, leads to an increase in intracellular adenosine triphosphate ([ATP]c). This increase in [ATP]c is observed in the absence of ambient glucose. Sucralose also augments elevation of [ATP]c induced by methylsuccinate, a substrate for mitochondria. Consequently, activation of T1R3 promotes metabolism in mitochondria and increases [ATP]c. 3‐O‐Methylglucose, a non‐metabolizable analog of glucose, also increases [ATP]c. Conversely, knockdown of T1R3 attenuates elevation of [ATP]c induced by glucose. Hence, glucose promotes its own metabolism by activating T1R3 and augmenting ATP production. Collectively, a homodimer of T1R3 functions as a cell surface glucose‐sensing receptor and participates in the action of glucose on insulin secretion. The glucose‐sensing receptor T1R3 might be the putative glucoreceptor proposed decades ago by Niki et al. The glucose‐sensing receptor is involved in the action of glucose and modulates glucose metabolism in pancreatic β‐cells.

Glucose Evokes Rapid Ca2+ and Cyclic AMP Signals by Activating the Cell-Surface Glucose-Sensing Receptor in Pancreatic β-Cells.

Glucose is a primary stimulator of insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells. High concentration of glucose has been thought to exert its action solely through its metabolism. In this regard, we have recently reported that glucose also activates a cell-surface glucose-sensing receptor and facilitates its own metabolism. In the present study, we investigated whether glucose activates the glucose-sensing receptor and elicits receptor-mediated rapid actions. In MIN6 cells and isolated mouse β-cells, glucose induced triphasic changes in cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c); glucose evoked an immediate elevation of [Ca2+]c, which was followed by a decrease in [Ca2+]c, and after a certain lag period it induced large oscillatory elevations of [Ca2+]c. Initial rapid peak and subsequent reduction of [Ca2+]c were independent of glucose metabolism and reproduced by a nonmetabolizable glucose analogue. These signals were also blocked by an inhibitor of T1R3, a subunit of the glucose-sensing receptor, and by deletion of the T1R3 gene. Besides Ca2+, glucose also induced an immediate and sustained elevation of intracellular cAMP ([cAMP]c). The elevation of [cAMP]c was blocked by transduction of the dominant-negative Gs, and deletion of the T1R3 gene. These results indicate that glucose induces rapid changes in [Ca2+]c and [cAMP]c by activating the cell-surface glucose-sensing receptor. Hence, glucose generates rapid intracellular signals by activating the cell-surface receptor.

Glucose-Sensing Receptor T1R3: A New Signaling Receptor Activated by Glucose in Pancreatic β-Cells

Subunits of the sweet taste receptors T1R2 and T1R3 are expressed in pancreatic β-cells. Compared with T1R3, mRNA expression of T1R2 is considerably lower. At the protein level, expression of T1R2 is undetectable in β-cells. Accordingly, a major component of the sweet taste-sensing receptor in β-cells may be a homodimer of T1R3 rather than a heterodimer of T1R2/T1R3. Inhibition of this receptor by gurmarin or deletion of the T1R3 gene attenuates glucose-induced insulin secretion from β-cells. Hence the T1R3 homodimer functions as a glucose-sensing receptor (GSR) in pancreatic β-cells. When GSR is activated by the T1R3 agonist sucralose, elevation of intracellular ATP concentration ([ATP]i) is observed. Sucralose increases [ATP]i even in the absence of ambient glucose, indicating that sucralose increases [ATP]i not simply by activating glucokinase, a rate-limiting enzyme in the glycolytic pathway. In addition, sucralose augments elevation of [ATP]i induced by methylsuccinate, suggesting that sucralose activates mitochondrial metabolism. Nonmetabolizable 3-O-methylglucose also increases [ATP]i and knockdown of T1R3 attenuates elevation of [ATP]i induced by high concentration of glucose. Collectively, these results indicate that the T1R3 homodimer functions as a GSR; this receptor is involved in glucose-induced insulin secretion by activating glucose metabolism probably in mitochondria.

Positive Allosteric Modulation of the Calcium-sensing Receptor by Physiological Concentrations of Glucose.

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is activated by various cations, cationic compounds, and amino acids. In the present study we investigated the effect of glucose on CaSR in HEK293 cells stably expressing human CaSR (HEK-CaSR cells). When glucose concentration in the buffer was raised from 3 to 25 mm, a rapid elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) was observed. This elevation was immediate and transient and was followed by a sustained decrease in [Ca2+]c. The effect of glucose was detected at a concentration of 4 mm and reached its maximum at 5 mm. 3-O-Methylglucose, a non-metabolizable analogue of glucose, reproduced the effect of glucose. Sucrose also induced an elevation of [Ca2+]c in HEK-CaSR cells. Similarly, sucralose was nearly as effective as glucose in inducing elevation of [Ca2+]c. Glucose was not able to increase [Ca2+]c in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. The effect of glucose on [Ca2+]c was inhibited by NPS-2143, an allosteric inhibitor of CaSR. In addition, NPS-2143 also inhibited the [Ca2+]c responses to sucralose and sucrose. Glucose as well as sucralose decreased cytoplasmic cAMP concentration in HEK-CaSR cells. The reduction of cAMP induced by glucose was blocked by pertussis toxin. Likewise, sucralose reduced [cAMP]c. Finally, glucose increased [Ca2+]c in PT-r parathyroid cells and in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, both of which express endogenous CaSR. These results indicate that glucose acts as a positive allosteric modulator of CaSR.

The Growth Hormone Receptor: Mechanism of Receptor Activation, Cell Signaling, and Physiological Aspects

The growth hormone receptor (GHR), although most well known for regulating growth, has many other important biological functions including regulating metabolism and controlling physiological processes related to the hepatobiliary, cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. In addition, growth hormone signaling is an important regulator of aging and plays a significant role in cancer development. Growth hormone activates the Janus kinase (JAK)–signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway, and recent studies have provided a new understanding of the mechanism of JAK2 activation by growth hormone binding to its receptor. JAK2 activation is required for growth hormone-mediated activation of STAT1, STAT3, and STAT5, and the negative regulation of JAK–STAT signaling comprises an important step in the control of this signaling pathway. The GHR also activates the Src family kinase signaling pathway independent of JAK2. This review covers the molecular mechanisms of GHR activation and signal transduction as well as the physiological consequences of growth hormone signaling.

Through Gαs-mediated microtubules disassembly and Rho

We previously reported that 3T3-L1 cells express a functional sweet taste receptor possibly as a T1R3 homomer that is coupled to Gs and negatively regulates adipogenesis by a Gαs-mediated but cAMP-independent mechanism. Here, we show that stimulation of this receptor with sucralose or saccharin induced disassembly of the microtubules in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, which was attenuated by overexpression of the dominant-negative mutant of Gαs (Gαs-G226A). In contrast, overexpression of the constitutively active mutant of Gαs (Gαs-Q227L) as well as treatment with cholera toxin or isoproterenol but not with forskolin caused disassembly of the microtubules. Sweetener-induced microtubule disassembly was accompanied by activation of RhoA and Rho-associated kinase (ROCK). This was attenuated with by knockdown of GEF-H1, a microtubule-localized guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rho GTPase. Furthermore, overexpression of the dominant-negative mutant of RhoA (RhoA-T19N) blocked sweetener-induced dephosphorylation of Akt and repression of PPARγ and C/EBPα in the early phase of adipogenic differentiation. These results suggest that the T1R3 homomeric sweet taste receptor negatively regulates adipogenesis through Gαs-mediated microtubule disassembly and consequent activation of the Rho/ROCK pathway.

Role of the glucose-sensing receptor in insulin secretion

Glucose is a primary stimulator of insulin secretion. It has been thought that glucose exerts its effect by a mechanism solely dependent on glucose metabolism. We show here that glucose induces rapid Ca2+ and cyclic AMP signals in β‐cells. These rapid signals are independent of glucose‐metabolism and are reproduced by non‐metabolizable glucose analogues. These results led us to postulate that glucose activates a cell‐surface receptor, namely the glucose‐sensing receptor. Rapid signals induced by glucose are blocked by inhibition of a sweet taste receptor subunit T1R3 and a calcium‐sensing receptor subunit CaSR. In accordance with these observations, T1R3 and CaSR form a heterodimer. In addition, a heterodimer of T1R3 and CaSR is activated by glucose. These results suggest that a heterodimer of T1R3 and CaSR is a major component of the glucose‐sensing receptor. When the glucose‐sensing receptor is blocked, glucose‐induced insulin secretion is inhibited. Also, ATP production is significantly attenuated by the inhibition of the receptor. Conversely, stimulation of the glucose‐sensing receptor by either artificial sweeteners or non‐metabolizable glucose analogue increases ATP. Hence, the glucose‐sensing receptor signals promote glucose metabolism. Collectively, glucose activates the cell‐surface glucose‐sensing receptor and promotes its own metabolism. Glucose then enters the cells and is metabolized through already activated metabolic pathways. The glucose‐sensing receptor is a key molecule regulating the action of glucose in β‐cells.

Signaling System Activated by the Glucose-Sensing Receptor

Glucose is a primary stimulator of insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells. It has long been thought that glucose augments insulin secretion solely by a mechanism dependent on glucose metabolism. Consequently, it takes a certain period of time for glucose to initiate cellular responses. With regard to the membrane potential, for example, it takes at least half a minute to observe glucose-induced depolarization of the plasma membrane. This lag period is thought to be a time required for glucose metabolism. To address the possibility that glucose activates a cell-surface receptor, we developed sensitive methods to monitor changes in cytoplasmic free calcium ([Ca2+]c), cyclic AMP ([cAMP]c), and activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Using sensitive methods, we investigated whether or not glucose induces immediate signals in β-cells. Indeed, glucose evoked immediate changes in [Ca2+]c, [cAMP]c and PKC activity. Importantly, these rapid signals were independent of glucose metabolism and were reproduced by addition of nonmetabolizable glucose analogs. Since these signals were inhibited by inhibition of Gq or Gs, it is quite likely that glucose activates a cell-surface receptor and generates immediate intracellular signals in pancreatic β-cells.

The Role of the Glucose-Sensing Receptor in Glucose-Induced Insulin Secretion in Pancreatic β-Cells

Glucose activates the glucose-sensing receptor and induces rapid intracellular signals in pancreatic β-cells. When the glucose-sensing receptor is blocked by an inhibitor of T1R3 or deletion of the T1R3 gene, glucose-induced insulin secretion (GIIS) is significantly reduced. In perifusion system, both first and second phases of GIIS are attenuated by the inhibition of the glucose-sensing receptor. Collectively, the glucose-sensing receptor is involved in both rapid and sustained action of glucose. Indeed, activation of the receptor by either artificial sweeteners or nonmetabolizable glucose analog increases ATP levels in β-cells. Furthermore, inhibition of the glucose-sensing receptor attenuates glucose-induced increase in ATP. These results indicate that activation of the glucose-sensing receptor promotes glucose metabolism and thereby augments ATP production in β-cells. Thus, glucose first acts on the cell-surface glucose-sensing receptor and primes the metabolic pathway of glucose. Glucose then enters β-cells and is metabolized through already activated metabolic pathway. The receptor pathway and the metabolic pathway act coordinately to stimulate insulin secretion.