Insulin Signaling Regulates Mitochondrial Function in Pancreatic β-Cells

Insulin/IGF-I signaling regulates the metabolism of most mammalian tissues including pancreatic islets. To dissect the mechanisms linking insulin signaling with mitochondrial function, we first identified a mitochondria-tethering complex in β-cells that included glucokinase (GK), and the pro-apoptotic protein, BAD_S. Mitochondria isolated from β-cells derived from β-cell specific insulin receptor knockout (βIRKO) mice exhibited reduced BAD_S, GK and protein kinase A in the complex, and attenuated function. Similar alterations were evident in islets from patients with type 2 diabetes. Decreased mitochondrial GK activity in βIRKOs could be explained, in part, by reduced expression and altered phosphorylation of BAD_S. The elevated phosphorylation of p70S6K and JNK1 was likely due to compensatory increase in IGF-1 receptor expression. Re-expression of insulin receptors in βIRKO cells partially restored the stoichiometry of the complex and mitochondrial function. These data indicate that insulin signaling regulates mitochondrial function and have implications for β-cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes.

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Insulin Signaling Regulates Mitochondrial Function in Pancreatic β-Cells
Syndicated from:PLoS ONE

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