Inhibition of proinsulin biosynthesis and conversion by a putative insulin mediator

The phospho-oligosaccharide (POS), presumed to act at the postreceptor level as the insulin second messenger, was recently reported to inhibit glucose-stimulated insulin release from rat pancreatic islets. In the present study, POS was also found to inhibit glucose-stimulated proinsulin biosynthesis and conversion in rat islets. By comparison with prior findings on the effects of both exogenous insulin and anti-insulin serum upon proinsulin synthesis, these results argue against the view that insulin would normally exert a negative feedback control upon the biosynthetic and secretory activities of islet B-cells.     

Analysis of proinsulin conversion activated by prior glucose: evidence that glucose stimulates synthesis of the conversion enzyme

We examined the mechanism by which prior glucose exposure accelerates conversion of proinsulin to insulin in pancreatic islets. Using actinomycin A, introduced at different times after a 3H-leucine pulse to block the intracellular transport of proinsulin, transport was found to be slightly accelerated after prolonged glucose. However, computer simulation of pulse-chase experiments showed that activation of conversion is mostly due to increased converting activity. Measurement of islet procathepsin B by immunoprecipitation indicated synthesis of this enzyme was stimulated about two fold after glucose. Pre-exposure with tunicamycin inhibited the acceleration of conversion, suggesting that the converting system requires glycosylation.     

Proalbumin to albumin conversion by a proinsulin processing endopeptidase of insulin secretory granules

A lysate of purified insulin secretory granules, which contains two types of proinsulin processing activity (type 1, Arg-Arg-directed and type II, Lys-Arg-directed (Davidson, H.W., Rhodes, C.J., and Hutton, J. C. (1988) Nature 333, 93-96), was found to process proalbumin by specific proteolytic cleavage of the COOH-terminal side of the Arg-2-Arg-1 sequence. The subcellular distribution of proalbumin processing activity in insulinoma tissue paralleled that for proinsulin conversion and occurred principally in a secretory granule fraction. Cleavage appeared to result from the Arg-Arg-directed type 1 proinsulin processing endo-peptidase. It was Ca2+-dependent (K0.5 activation = 1.0-1.5 mM Ca2+), unaffected by group-specific inhibitors of serine, cysteinyl, or aspartyl proteinases, and had an acidic pH optimum (5.5). Active-site inhibitor studies showed this activity had a preference for dibasic over monobasic amino acid sequences and indicated that the sequence of the dibasic site was an important determinant of the susceptibility of the substrate to cleavage. The activity did not process the proalbumin Christchurch mutant (Arg-2-Arg-1 to Arg-2-Gln-1). It was inhibited by the variant alpha 1-antitrypsin Pittsburgh (Met358 to Arg358; K0.5 = 100 nM) but not by other related proteins normally co-secreted with albumin from hepatocytes, namely alpha 1-antitrypsin M, alpha 2-macroglobulin, or antithrombin III. The insulin secretory granule proalbumin processing activity was indistinguishable from a proalbumin endopeptidase reported in rat liver membranes and similar to the yeast KEX-2 protease. These findings suggest that a highly conserved set of proprotein endopeptidases exists, which are specific for a dibasic sequence but broadly specific for proprotein substrates. Such enzymic activities appear to be active within both the constitutive and regulated pathways of secretion. Intraorganellar Ca2+ and pH appear to play a key role in regulating their activities.     

Differential regulation of cellular maturation in chondrocytes and osteoblasts by glycine

Previous studies have demonstrated the functional expression, by osteoblasts, of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors responsible for the promotion of cellular differentiation in bone. We have now evaluated the possible role of the endogenous co-agonist of NMDA receptors, glycine (Gly), in chondrogenesis. In ex vivo organotypic cultures of fetal mouse tibias, proximal and distal cartilaginous primordia were significantly increased in the presence of Gly, with the osteogenic center being unchanged. Exposure to Gly drastically increased mRNA expression of the calcified chondrocyte marker osteopontin, without markedly affecting that of a proliferating chondrocyte marker or a hypertrophic chondrocyte marker, as shown in organotypic cultures by in situ hybridization analysis. Gly significantly increased Ca(2+) accumulation, osteopontin mRNA expression, and alkaline phosphatase activity in cultured rat costal chondrocytes, without significantly affecting those in cultured rat calvarial osteoblasts. The increase induced by Gly was significantly prevented by an NMDA receptor channel blocker and an antagonist at the Gly site on NMDA receptors, but not by an inhibitory Gly receptor antagonist or a Gly transporter inhibitor, in cultured chondrocytes. Constitutive mRNA expression was seen for NR1, NR2D, and NR3A subunits of NMDA receptors, but not for Gly receptors and transporters, in cultured chondrocytes. Corresponding immunoreactive proteins were detected for NR1 and NR2D subunits in cartilaginous zones of fetal mouse tibias. Thus, Gly might, at least in part, play a role as a trophic factor in the mechanisms associated with chondral calcification through the Gly site of NMDA receptors functionally expressed by chondrocytes in rodent cartilage.     

Dynamic instability and motile events of native microtubules from squid axoplasm

Native microtubules from extruded axoplasm of squid giant axons were used as a paradigm to characterize the motion of organelles along free microtubules and to study the dynamics of microtubule length changes. The motion of large round organelles was visualized by AVEC-DIC microscopy and analyzed at a temporal resolution of 10 frames per second. The movements were smooth and showed no major changes in velocity or direction. During translocation, the organelles paused very rarely. Superimposed on the rather constant mean velocity was a velocity fluctuation, which indicated that the organelles are subject to considerable thermal motion during translocation. Evidence for a regular low-frequency oscillation was not found. The thermal motion was anisotropic such that axial motion was less restricted than lateral motion. We conclude that the crossbridge connecting the moving organelle to the microtubule has a flexible region that behaves like a hinge, which permits preferential movement in the direction parallel to the microtubule. The dynamic changes in length of native microtubules were studied at a temporal resolution of 1 Hz. About 98% of the native microtubules maintained their length ("stable" microtubules), while 2% showed phases of growing and/or shrinking typical for dynamic instability ("dynamic" microtubules). Gliding and organelle motion were not influenced by dynamic length changes. Transitions between growing and shrinking phases were low-frequency events (1-10 minutes per cycle). However, a new type of microtubule length fluctuation, which occurred at a high frequency (a few seconds per cycle), was detected. The length changes were in the 1-3 micron range. The latter events were very prominent at the (+) ends. It appears that the native axonal microtubules are much more stable than the purified microtubules and the microtubules of cultured cells that have been studied thus far. Potential mechanisms accounting for the three states of microtubule stability are discussed. These studies show that the native microtubules from squid giant axons are a very useful paradigm for studying microtubule-related motility events and microtubule dynamics.     

Transglutaminase activity along the rat small bowel and cellular location

A recent report indicates a relationship between human transglutaminase (TG) jejunal mucosa activity and celiac disease. We investigated the enzyme distribution along six consecutive small bowel segments of mucosa and tested TG activity on brush border membranes obtained from whole mucosa homogenate in Wistar rats. TG activity was significantly present in jejunal mucosa even if mostly detected in the distal part of small intestine. Our study indicates highest enzymatic activity in the subcellular fraction containing organelles and cellular membranes (66.8%) while a 7% activity was associated with the brush border fraction.     

Synthesis of S-farnesyl-L-cysteine methylester and purification by HPLC

Summary S-trans, trans-farnesyl-L-cysteine methylester, a post translational modified amino acid, was synthesized from farnesyl bromide and L-cysteine methylester hydrochloride salt in the presence of triethylamine. Its purification as well as separation from the other isomers by HPLC on RP Vydac C₄ and C₈ columns are reported here.     

Effects of beta-mercaptoethanol and hydrogen peroxide on enzymatic conversion of human proinsulin to insulin

Human insulin is a hormone well-known to regulate the blood glucose level. Recombinant preproinsulin, a precursor of authentic insulin, is typically produced in E. coli as an inactive inclusion body, the solubilization of which needs the addition of reducing agents such as beta-mercaptoethanol. To make authentic insulin, recombinant preproinsulin is modified enzymatically by trypsin and carboxypeptidase B. The effects of beta-mercaptoethanol on the formation of human insulin derivatives were investigated in the enzymatic modification by using commercially available human proinsulin as a substrate. Addition of 1 mM beta-mercaptoethanol induced the formation of various insulin derivatives. Among them, the second major one, impurity 3, was found to be identical to the insulin B chain fragment from Phe1 to Glu21. Minimization of the formation of insulin derivatives and concomitant improvement of the production yield of human insulin were achieved by the addition of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide bound with beta-mercaptoethanol and thereby reduced the negative effects of beta-mercaptoethanol considerably. Elimination of the impurity 3 and other derivatives by the addition of over 10 mM hydrogen peroxide in the presence of beta-mercaptoethanol led to a 1.3-fold increase in the recovery efficiency of insulin, compared with those for the case without hydrogen peroxide. The positive effects of hydrogen peroxide were also confirmed with recombinant human preproinsulin expressed in recombinant E. coli as an inclusion body.     

Glucose-raising genetic variants in MADD and ADCY5 impair conversion of proinsulin to insulin

Introduction

Recent meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies revealed new genetic loci associated with fasting glycemia. For several of these loci, the mechanism of action in glucose homeostasis is unclear. The objective of the study was to establish metabolic phenotypes for these genetic variants to deliver clues to their pathomechanism.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study 1782 non-diabetic volunteers at increased risk for type 2 diabetes underwent an oral glucose tolerance test. Insulin, C-peptide and proinsulin were measured and genotyping was performed for 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in or near the genes GCK (rs4607517), DGKB (rs2191349), GCKR (rs780094), ADCY5 (rs11708067), MADD (rs7944584), ADRA2A (rs10885122), FADS1 (rs174550), CRY2 (rs11605924), SLC2A2 (rs11920090), PROX1 (rs340874), GLIS3 (rs7034200) and C2CD4B (rs11071657). Parameters of insulin secretion (AUC Insulin_0–30/AUC Glucose_0–30, AUC C-peptide_0–120/AUC Glucose_0–120), proinsulin-to-insulin conversion (fasting proinsulin, fasting proinsulin/insulin, AUC Proinsulin_0–120/AUCInsulin_0–120) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, Matsuda-Index) were assessed.

Results

After adjustment for confounding variables, the effect alleles of the ADCY5 and MADD SNPs were associated with an impaired proinsulin-to-insulin conversion (p = 0.002 and p = 0.0001, respectively). GLIS3 was nominally associated with impaired proinsulin-to-insulin conversion and insulin secretion. The diabetogenic alleles of DGKB and PROX1 were nominally associated with reduced insulin secretion. Nominally significant effects on insulin sensitivity could be found for MADD and PROX1.

Discussion

By examining parameters of glucose-stimulated proinsulin-to-insulin conversion during an OGTT, we show that the SNP in ADCY5 is implicated in defective proinsulin-to-insulin conversion. In addition, we confirmed previous findings on the role of a genetic variant in MADD on proinsulin-to-insulin conversion. These effects may also be related to neighboring regions of the genome.     

Transglutaminase overexpression sensitizes neuronal cell lines to apoptosis by increasing mitochondrial membrane potential and cellular oxidative stress

'Tissue' transglutaminase (tTG) selectively accumulates in cells undergoing apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro. Considering the central role played by mitochondria in apoptosis, we investigated the relationships existing amongst tTG expression, apoptosis and mitochondrial function. To this aim we studied the mechanisms of apoptosis in a neuronal cell line (SK-N-BE (2)) in which the tTG-expression was driven by a constitutive promoter. Furthermore, a tet-off inducible promoter was also used in 3T3 fibroblastic cells used as control. Both cell lines, when expressing tTG, appeared 'sensitized' to apoptosis. Strikingly, we found major differences in the morphological features of mitochondria among cell lines in the absence of apoptotic stimuli. In addition, these ultrastructural characteristics were associated with specific functional features: (i) constitutively hyperpolarized mitochondria and (ii) increased reactive oxygen intermediates production. Importantly, after mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis by staurosporine, a rapid loss of mitochondrial membrane potential was found in tTG cells only. Taken together, these results seem to suggest that, via hyperpolarization, tTG might act as a 'sensitizer' towards apoptotic stimuli specifically targeted to mitochondria. These results could also be of pathogenetic relevance for those diseases that are characterized by increased tTG and apoptotic rate together with impaired mitochondrial function, e.g. in some neurodegenerative disease.