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OBJECTIVEThe reversible attachment of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) proteins controls target localization and function. We examined an acute role for the SUMOylation pathway in downstream events mediating insulin secretion.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSWe studied islets and β-cells from mice and human donors, as well as INS-1 832/13 cells. Insulin secretion, intracellular Ca2+, and β-cell exocytosis were monitored after manipulation of the SUMOylation machinery. Granule localization was imaged by total internal reflection fluorescence and electron microscopy; immunoprecipitation and Western blotting were used to examine the soluble NSF attachment receptor (SNARE) complex formation and SUMO1 interaction with synaptotagmin VII.RESULTSSUMO1 impairs glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by blunting the β-cell exocytotic response to Ca2+. The effect of SUMO1 to impair insulin secretion and β-cell exocytosis is rapid and does not require altered gene expression or insulin content, is downstream of granule docking at the plasma membrane, and is dependent on SUMO-conjugation because the deSUMOylating enzyme, sentrin/SUMO-specific protease (SENP)-1, rescues exocytosis. SUMO1 coimmunoprecipitates with the Ca2+ sensor synaptotagmin VII, and this is transiently lost upon glucose stimulation. SENP1 overexpression also disrupts the association of SUMO1 with synaptotagmin VII and mimics the effect of glucose to enhance exocytosis. Conversely, SENP1 knockdown impairs exocytosis at stimulatory glucose levels and blunts glucose-dependent insulin secretion from mouse and human islets.CONCLUSIONSSUMOylation acutely regulates insulin secretion by the direct and reversible inhibition of β-cell exocytosis in response to intracellular Ca2+ elevation. The SUMO protease, SENP1, is required for glucose-dependent insulin secretion.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) acts as an adaptor at the focal contacts serving as a junction between the extracellular matrix and actin cytoskeleton. Actin dynamics is known as a determinant step in insulin secretion. Additionally, FAK has been shown to regulate insulin signaling. To investigate the essential physiological role of FAK in pancreatic β-cells in vivo, we generated a transgenic mouse model using rat insulin promoter (RIP)–driven Cre-loxP recombination system to specifically delete FAK in pancreatic β-cells. These RIPcre+fakfl/fl mice exhibited glucose intolerance without changes in insulin sensitivity. Reduced β-cell viability and proliferation resulting in decreased β-cell mass was observed in these mice, which was associated with attenuated insulin/Akt (also known as protein kinase B) and extracellular signal–related kinase 1/2 signaling and increased caspase 3 activation. FAK-deficient β-cells exhibited impaired insulin secretion with normal glucose sensing and preserved Ca2+ influx in response to glucose, but a reduced number of docked insulin granules and insulin exocytosis were found, which was associated with a decrease in focal proteins, paxillin and talin, and an impairment in actin depolymerization. This study is the first to show in vivo that FAK is critical for pancreatic β-cell viability and function through regulation in insulin signaling, actin dynamics, and granule trafficking.

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Aims/hypothesis It is thought that the voltage-dependent potassium channel subunit Kv2.1 (Kv2.1) regulates insulin secretion by controlling beta cell electrical excitability. However, this role of Kv2.1 in human insulin secretion has been questioned. Interestingly, Kv2.1 can also regulate exocytosis through direct interaction of its C-terminus with the soluble NSF attachment receptor (SNARE) protein, syntaxin 1A. We hypothesised that this interaction mediates insulin secretion independently of Kv2.1 electrical function. Methods Wild-type Kv2.1 or mutants lacking electrical function and syntaxin 1A binding were studied in rodent and human beta cells, and in INS-1 cells. Small intracellular fragments of the channel were used to disrupt native Kv2.1-syntaxin 1A complexes. Single-cell exocytosis and ion channel currents were monitored by patch-clamp electrophysiology. Interaction between Kv2.1, syntaxin 1A and other SNARE proteins was probed by immunoprecipitation. Whole-islet Ca 2+ -responses were monitored by ratiometric Fura red fluorescence and insulin secretion was measured.

Aims/hypothesis Phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinases (PI3Ks) regulate beta cell mass, gene transcription, and function, although the contribution of the specific isoforms is unknown. As reduced type 1A PI3K signalling is thought to contribute to impaired insulin secretion, we investigated the role of the type 1A PI3K catalytic subunits α and β (p110α and -β) in insulin granule recruitment and exocytosis in rodent and human islets. Methods The p110α and p110β subunits were inhibited pharmacologically or by small hairpin (sh)RNA-mediated knockdown, and were directly infused or overexpressed in mouse and human islets, beta cells and INS-1 832/13 cells. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), single-cell exocytosis, Ca 2+ signalling, plasma membrane granule localisation, and actin density were monitored. Results Inhibition or knockdown of p110α increased GSIS. This was not due to altered Ca 2+ responses, depolymerisation of cortical actin or increased cortical granule density, but to enhanced Ca 2+ -dependent exocytosis. Intracellular infusion of recombinant PI3Kα (p110α/p85β) blocked exocytosis. Conversely, knockdown (but not pharmacological inhibition) of p110β blunted GSIS, reduced cortical granule density and impaired exocytosis. Exocytosis was rescued by direct intracellular infusion of recombinant PI3Kβ (p110β/p85β) even when p110β catalytic activity was inhibited. Conversely, both the wild-type p110β and a catalytically inactive mutant directly facilitated exocytosis. Conclusions/interpretation Type 1A PI3K isoforms have distinct and opposing roles in the acute regulation of insulin secretion. While p110α acts as a negative regulator of beta cell exocytosis and insulin secretion, p110β is a positive regulator of insulin secretion through a mechanism separate from its catalytic activity.

tional modification by the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) peptides, known as SUMOylation, is reversed by the sentrin/SUMOspecific proteases (SENPs). While increased SUMOylation reduces ␤-cell exocytosis, insulin secretion, and responsiveness to GLP-1, the impact of SUMOylation on islet cell survival is unknown. Mouse islets, INS-1 832/13 cells, or human islets were transduced with adenoviruses to increase either SENP1 or SUMO1 or were transfected with siRNA duplexes to knockdown SENP1. We examined insulin secretion, intracellular Ca 2ϩ responses, induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress markers and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, and apoptosis by TUNEL and caspase 3 cleavage. Surprisingly, upregulation of SENP1 reduces insulin secretion and impairs intracellular Ca 2ϩ handling. This secretory dysfunction is due to SENP1-induced cell death. Indeed, the detrimental effect of SENP1 on secretory function is diminished when two mediators of ␤-cell death, iNOS and NF-B, are pharmacologically inhibited. Conversely, enhanced SUMOylation protects against IL-1␤-induced cell death. This is associated with reduced iNOS expression, cleavage of caspase 3, and nuclear translocation of NF-B. Taken together, these findings identify SUMO1 as a novel antiapoptotic protein in islets and demonstrate that reduced viability accounts for impaired islet function following SENP1 up-regulation. islets of Langerhans; SUMOylation; inducible nitric oxide synthase; sentrin/SUMO-specific protease 1; SENP1 SMALL UBIQUITIN-RELATED MODIFIER (SUMO) peptides are involved in the posttranslational modification of numerous cellular proteins (19,20,26). SUMO modification, known as SUMOylation, occurs through a cascade of well-characterized enzymatic events that rely on the E2 conjugating enzyme Ubc9 (19,20,22). SUMOylation is made reversible by the sentrin/ SUMO-specific proteases (SENPs), which remove SUMO from target proteins (49). Due to the large number of SUMOylatable targets, the cellular outcomes of SUMO modification are diverse, ranging from the control of DNA repair to the regulation of transcription factors and plasma membrane proteins (9,10,20,28,39,42,44). SUMO1 modification has a negative impact on ␤-cell secretory function (35). Upregulation of SUMO1 decreases insulin gene expression (28, 44), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor signaling (42), and both glucose-and exendin-4-stimulated insulin secretion (10, 42), suggesting that deSUMOylation may improve secretory function. Indeed, knockdown of the SUMOylating enzyme Ubc9 enhances exendin-4-stimulated insulin secretion (42), and upregulation of the deSUMOylating enzyme SENP1 increases exocytosis from rodent ␤-cells at low glucose (10, 48). Whether this elevates insulin secretion above that stimulated by glucose is unclear, as SENP1 does not increase ␤-cell exocytosis above the levels seen with high glucose (10). Thus, while increased SUMOylation results in secretory impairment (10, 42, 48), the effect of the deSUMOylating enzyme SENP1 remains unknown.SUMOyla...

Our understanding of adult human β-cells is advancing, but we know little about the function and plasticity of β-cells from infants. We therefore characterized islets and single islet cells from human infants after isolation and culture. Although islet morphology in pancreas biopsies was similar to that in adults, infant islets after isolation and 24-48 hours of culture had less insulin staining, content, and secretion. The cultured infant islets expressed pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 and several (Glut1, Cav1.3, Kir6.2) but not all (syntaxin 1A and synaptosomal-associated protein 25) markers of functional islets, suggesting a loss of secretory phenotype in culture. The activity of key ion channels was maintained in isolated infant β-cells, whereas exocytosis was much lower than in adults. We examined whether a functional exocytotic phenotype could be reestablished under conditions thought to promote β-cell differentiation. After a 24- to 28-day expansion and maturation protocol, we found preservation of endocrine markers and hormone expression, an increased proportion of insulin-positive cells, elevated expression of syntaxin 1A and synaptosomal-associated protein 25, and restoration of exocytosis to levels comparable with that in adult β-cells. Thus, human infant islets are prone to loss of their exocytotic phenotype in culture but amenable to experimental approaches aimed at promoting expansion and functional maturation. Control of exocytotic protein expression may be an important mechanism underlying the plasticity of the secretory machinery, an increased understanding of which may lead to improved regenerative approaches to treat diabetes.