Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is systemically elevated in obesity and is a predictive factor to develop type 2 diabetes. Pancreatic islet pathology in type 2 diabetes is characterized by reduced ␤-cell function and mass, an increased proportion of ␣-cells relative to ␤-cells, and ␣-cell dysfunction. Here we show that the ␣ cell is a primary target of IL-6 actions. Beginning with investigating the tissue-specific expression pattern of the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) in both mice and rats, we find the highest expression of the IL-6R in the endocrine pancreas, with highest expression on the ␣-cell. The islet IL-6R is functional, and IL-6 acutely regulates both pro-glucagon mRNA and glucagon secretion in mouse and human islets, with no acute effect on insulin secretion. Furthermore, IL-6 stimulates ␣-cell proliferation, prevents apoptosis due to metabolic stress, and regulates ␣-cell mass in vivo. Using IL-6 KO mice fed a high-fat diet, we find that IL-6 is necessary for high-fat diet-induced increased ␣-cell mass, an effect that occurs early in response to diet change. Further, after high-fat diet feeding, IL-6 KO mice without expansion of ␣-cell mass display decreased fasting glucagon levels. However, despite these ␣-cell effects, high-fat feeding of IL-6 KO mice results in increased fed glycemia due to impaired insulin secretion, with unchanged insulin sensitivity and similar body weights. Thus, we conclude that IL-6 is necessary for the expansion of pancreatic ␣-cell mass in response to high-fat diet feeding, and we suggest that this expansion may be needed for functional ␤-cell compensation to increased metabolic demand.alpha-cell mass ͉ beta-cell function ͉ high-fat diet ͉ pancreatic islet

We characterized the sequence and protein interactions of cingulin, an M r 140–160-kD phosphoprotein localized on the cytoplasmic surface of epithelial tight junctions (TJ). The derived amino acid sequence of a full-length Xenopus laevis cingulin cDNA shows globular head (residues 1–439) and tail (1,326–1,368) domains and a central α-helical rod domain (440–1,325). Sequence analysis, electron microscopy, and pull-down assays indicate that the cingulin rod is responsible for the formation of coiled-coil parallel dimers, which can further aggregate through intermolecular interactions. Pull-down assays from epithelial, insect cell, and reticulocyte lysates show that an NH2-terminal fragment of cingulin (1–378) interacts in vitro with ZO-1 (K d ∼5 nM), ZO-2, ZO-3, myosin, and AF-6, but not with symplekin, and a COOH-terminal fragment (377–1,368) interacts with myosin and ZO-3. ZO-1 and ZO-2 immunoprecipitates contain cingulin, suggesting in vivo interactions. Full-length cingulin, but not NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal fragments, colocalizes with endogenous cingulin in transfected MDCK cells, indicating that sequences within both head and rod domains are required for TJ localization. We propose that cingulin is a functionally important component of TJ, linking the submembrane plaque domain of TJ to the actomyosin cytoskeleton.

We have shown previously that culture of ␤-cells on matrix derived from 804G cells and rich in laminin-5 improves their function. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether this matrix protects ␤-cells against apoptosis and to elucidate signaling pathways involved. Matrix protected sorted rat ␤-cells against apoptosis under standard conditions (11.2 mmol/l glucose, 10% serum), after serum deprivation (1% serum), and in response to interleukin-1␤ (IL-1␤; 2 ng/ml), compared with control (poly-L-lysine [pLL]). Caspase-8 activity was reduced in cells cultured on matrix, whereas focal adhesion kinase (FAK), protein kinase B (PKB, or Akt), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation was augmented. Treatment (4 h) with an anti-␤1 integrin antibody, with the ERK pathway inhibitor PD98059, and/or with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 augmented cell death on 804G matrix but not on pLL. In long-term assays (48 h), PD98059 but not LY294002 drastically augmented cell death on 804G matrix but did so to a lesser extent on pLL. The protein inhibitor of nuclear factor-B (IB␣) was overexpressed in cells cultured 18 h on matrix with partial blockade by PD98059. In summary, this study provides evidence for activation of signaling pathways and gene expression by extracellular matrix leading to improved ␤-cell survival. Diabetes

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are a subgroup of nuclear receptors activated by fatty acids and eicosanoids. In addition, they are subject to phosphorylation by insulin, resulting in the activation of PPAR␣, while inhibiting PPAR␥ under certain conditions. However, it was hitherto unclear whether the stimulatory effect of insulin on PPAR␣ was direct and by which mechanism it occurs. We now demonstrate that amino acids 1-92 of hPPAR␣ contain an activation function (AF)-1-like domain, which is further activated by insulin through a pathway involving the mitogen-activated protein kinases p42 and p44. Further analysis of the amino-terminal region of PPAR␣ revealed that the insulin-induced trans-activation occurs through the phosphorylation of two mitogen-activated protein kinase sites at positions 12 and 21, both of which are conserved across evolution. The characterization of a strong AF-1 region in PPAR␣, stimulating transcription one-fourth as strongly as the viral protein VP16, is compatible with the marked basal transcriptional activity of this isoform in transfection experiments. However, it is intriguing that the activity of this AF-1 region is modulated by the phosphorylation of two serine residues, both of which must be phosphorylated in order to activate transcription. This is in contrast to PPAR␥2, which was previously shown to be phosphorylated at a single site in a motif that is not homologous to the sites now described in PPAR␣. Although the molecular details involved in the phosphorylation-dependent enhancement of the transcriptional activity of PPAR␣ remain to be elucidated, we demonstrate that the effect of insulin on the AF-1 region of PPAR␣ can be mimicked by the addition of triiodothyronine receptor ␤1, a strong binder of corepressor proteins. In addition, a triiodothyronine receptor ␤1 mutant deficient in interacting with corepressors is unable to activate PPAR␣. These observations suggest that the AF-1 region of PPAR␣ is partially silenced by corepressor proteins, which might interact in a phosphorylation-dependent manner.

No abstract

Bay 11-7082) or by a recombinant adenovirus expressing the nonphosphorylatable form of IB␣, 804G-ECM-induced cell spreading and actin cytoskeleton organization were reduced. GSIS from cells on 804G-ECM was inhibited 5-fold, whereas cell survival was not affected. In summary, the results indicate that 804G-ECM induces a transient and moderate NF-B activity. This study shows for the first time that ECM-induced NF-B activity is necessary in maintaining GSIS, although it does not affect survival of pancreatic beta cells. The effects of ECM-induced NF-B activity contrast with the deleterious effects of cytokine-induced NF-B activity. It is proposed that transient and moderate NF-B activity is essential for proper function of the pancreatic beta cell.

Aims/hypothesis. Human islet cells survive poorly in culture and are overgrown by non-endocrine cells. The aims of this study were to sort human beta cells and to develop approaches for their improved survival in culture. Methods. Human islets were infected with recombinant adenovirus expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the rat insulin promoter such that only beta cells expressed GFP. GFP-positive beta cells were sorted by flow cytometry, and expression of select integrins evaluated by RT-PCR. Beta cells were cultured on different extracellular matrices for up to 15 days. Apoptosis was measured by annexin V binding and ELISA. Insulin secretion was measured by ELISA. Results. Sorted beta cells survived less well in culture than unsorted islet cells. This did not appear to be due to adenoviral infection and/or GFP expression. Purified beta cells expressed the integrins α3, α5, α6, αV, β1, but not β4. Of the various matrices tested, sorted beta cells attached and spread best on a lawn of lysed human bladder carcinoma cells (5637 cells). However, survival remained poor. Cell death was decreased but not prevented by continued presence of 10 mmol/l nicotinamide and apoptosis decreased by 24 h incubation with 20 µmol/l Z-VAD. Insulin secretion was maintained over 6 days following treatment with both agents. Conclusions/interpretation. Purification of human beta cells induces marked apoptosis limiting their function and survival in vitro. This was improved by matching the extracellular matrix to the specific expression of integrins and by addition of nicotinamide and Z-VAD. [Diabetologia (2002) 45:841-850]

Cingulin, a component of vertebrate tight junctions, contains a head domain that controls its junctional recruitment and protein interactions. To determine whether lack of junctional cingulin affects tight-junction organization and function, we examined the phenotype of embryoid bodies derived from embryonic stem cells carrying one or two alleles of cingulin with a targeted deletion of the exon coding for most of the predicted head domain. In homozygous (–/–) embryoid bodies, no full-length cingulin was detected by immunoblotting and no junctional labeling was detected by immunofluorescence. In hetero- and homozygous (+/– and –/–) embryoid bodies, immunoblotting revealed a Triton-soluble, truncated form of cingulin, increased levels of the tight junction proteins ZO-2, occludin, claudin-6 and Lfc, and decreased levels of ZO-1. The +/– and –/– embryoid bodies contained epithelial cells with normal tight junctions, as determined by freeze-fracture and transmission electron microscopy, and a biotin permeability assay. The localization of ZO-1, occludin and claudin-6 appeared normal in mutant epithelial cells, indicating that cingulin is not required for their junctional recruitment. Real-time quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (real-time qRT-PCR) showed that differentiation of embryonic stem cells into embryoid bodies was associated with up-regulation of mRNAs for several tight junction proteins. Microarray analysis and real-time qRT-PCR showed that cingulin mutation caused a further increase in the transcript levels of occludin, claudin-2, claudin-6 and claudin-7, which were probably due to an increase in expression of GATA-6, GATA-4 and HNF-4α, transcription factors implicated in endodermal differentiation. Thus, lack of junctional cingulin does not prevent tight-junction formation, but gene expression and tight junction protein levels are altered by the cingulin mutation.