Exocytosis of insulin is dependent on the soluble N-ethylmaleimide attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex proteins in the B-cells. We assessed insulin release as well as gene and protein expression of SNARE complex protein in isolated pancreatic islets of type 2 diabetic patients (n ‫؍‬ 4) and nondiabetic control subjects (n ‫؍‬ 4). In islets from the diabetic patients, insulin responses to 8.3 and 16.7 mmol/l glucose were markedly reduced compared with control islets (4.7 ؎ 0.3 and 8.4 ؎ 1.8 vs. 17.5 ؎ 0.1 and 24.3 ؎ 1.2 U ⅐ islet ؊1 ⅐ h ؊1 , respectively; P < 0.001). Western blot analysis revealed decreased amounts of islet SNARE complex and SNARE-modulating proteins in diabetes: syntaxin-1A (21 ؎ 5% of control levels), SNAP-25 (12 ؎ 4%), VAMP-2 (7 ؎ 4%), nSec1 (Munc 18; 34 ؎ 13%), Munc 13-1 (27 ؎ 4%), and synaptophysin (64 ؎ 7%). Microarray gene chip analysis, confirmed by quantitative PCR, showed that gene expression was decreased in diabetes islets: syntaxin-1A (27 ؎ 2% of control levels), SNAP-25 (31 ؎ 7%), VAMP-2 (18 ؎ 3%), nSec1 (27 ؎ 5%), synaptotagmin V (24 ؎ 2%), and synaptophysin (12 ؎ 2%). In conclusion, these data support the view that decreased islet RNA and protein expression of SNARE and SNAREmodulating proteins plays a role in impaired insulin secretion in type 2 diabetic patients. It remains unclear, however, to which extent this defect is primary or secondary to, e.g., glucotoxicity. Diabetes 55: [435][436][437][438][439][440] 2006 I n addition to insulin resistance, impaired insulin response to glucose appears to be a prerequisite for type 2 diabetes to develop (1,2). For practical and ethical reasons, most studies of molecular mechanisms behind this functional B-cell defect have been performed in animal models of the disease. One such rodent is the Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat, which is nonobese with moderate hyperglycemia on a background of greatly impaired insulin secretion and mildly to moderately decreased insulin sensitivity (3-5). Several metabolic abnormalities with potential impact on B-cell secretory function have been demonstrated in the pancreatic islets of GK rats (4,6 -9). Exocytosis of insulin is critically dependent on the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex proteins in the B-cells (10 -12). We have shown that expression of several of the SNARE complex proteins, such as VAMP-2, syntaxin-1A, SNAP-25, and nSec1 (Munc18), were decreased by ϳ40% in GK versus control rat islets (13,14), and similar impairments were also found in islets of the fa/fa Zucker rat (15). Moreover, in GK rat islets, dysregulation of SNARE complex protein expression was evident, because their compensatory increase by high-glucose exposure was abrogated (13).Here, we have investigated the role of the exocytotic SNARE complex proteins and several SNARE-modulating proteins in pancreatic islets obtained from patients with type 2 diabetes compared with nondiabetic control subjects. For that purpose, we studied the gene expression by Affymetrix microarray chip...

Syntaxins are cytoplasmically oriented integral membrane soluble NEM-sensitive factor receptors (SNAREs; soluble NEM-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors) thought to serve as targets for the assembly of protein complexes important in regulating membrane fusion. The SNARE hypothesis predicts that the fidelity of vesicle traffic is controlled in part by the correct recognition of vesicle SNAREs with their cognate target SNARE partner. Here, we show that in the exocrine acinar cell of the pancreas, multiple syntaxin isoforms are expressed and that they appear to reside in distinct membrane compartments. Syntaxin 2 is restricted to the apical plasma membrane whereas syntaxin 4 is found most abundantly on the basolateral membranes. Surprisingly, syntaxin 3 was found to be localized to a vesicular compartment, the zymogen granule membrane. In addition, we show that these proteins are capable of specific interaction with vesicle SNARE proteins. Their nonoverlapping locations support the general principle of the SNARE hypothesis and provide new insights into the mechanisms of polarized secretion in epithelial cells. INTRODUCTIONThe SNARE hypothesis is a general model proposed by Rothman and Warren (1994) to explain the basic principles of membrane fusion responsible for intracellular membrane movements and secretion . This hypothesis predicts that a stepwise progression of interactions between soluble cytoplasmic proteins and membrane receptors ultimately leads to the fusion of the two membranes. The soluble factors, including the ATPase NEM-sensitive factor (NSF) and soluble NSF attachment proteins (SNAPs), are thought to bind to SNAP receptors (SNAREs), located on transport vesicles (v-SNAREs) and on target membranes (t-SNAREs), to mediate the fusion of the two membranes. A stable complex be-

In pancreatic ␤-cells, the predominant voltage-gated Ca 2؉ channel (Ca V 1.2) and K ؉ channel (K V 2.1) are directly coupled to SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein (SNAP) receptor) proteins. These SNARE proteins modulate channel expression and gating and closely associate these channels with the insulin secretory vesicles. We show that K V 2.1 and Ca V 1.2, but not K V 1.4, SUR1, or Kir6.2, target to specialized cholesterol-rich lipid raft domains on ␤-cell plasma membranes. Similarly, the SNARE proteins syntaxin 1A, SNAP-25, and VAMP-2, but not Munc-13-1 or n-Sec1, are associated with lipid rafts. Disruption of the lipid rafts by depleting membrane cholesterol with methyl-␤-cyclodextrin shunts K V 2.1, Ca V 1.2, and SNARE proteins out of lipid rafts. Furthermore, methyl-␤-cyclodextrin inhibits K V 2.1 but not Ca V 1.2 channel activity and enhances single-cell exocytic events and insulin secretion. Membrane compartmentalization of ion channels and SNARE proteins in lipid rafts may be critical for the temporal and spatial coordination of insulin release, forming what has been described as the excitosome complex.In the pancreatic islets of Langerhans, glucose uptake by ␤-cells initiates a cascade of cellular events resulting in insulin secretion. A key response leading to insulin release is the change in transmembrane potential associated with the opening and closing of ion channels. Glucose uptake and metabolism increases the ratio of ATP/ADP, leading to the blockade of ATP-sensitive potassium (K ϩ -ATP) channels. Inhibition of these channels results in cell membrane depolarization and subsequent activation of voltage-gated Ca 2ϩ (Ca V ) 1 channels. Influx of extracellular Ca 2ϩ through Ca V channels causes oscillatory elevations in [Ca 2ϩ ] i , fusion of insulin-containing vesicles with the cell membrane, and insulin release (reviewed in Ref. 1). This entire process is suppressed or terminated by the opening of voltage-gated K ϩ (K V ) channels (2). The integrated process of channel gating is critical for the coordination of insulin release and thus the consequent maintenance of proper plasma glucose levels.Pancreatic ␤-cells and clonal insulinoma cells express four different families of K V channels (K V 1, K V 2, K V 3, K V 4) in variable levels (2-4). K V 2.1 is the most abundant K V channel isoform expressed in both isolated islet ␤-cells and insulinoma cells. To support this notion, the dominant-negative knockout of K V 2.1 channel or pharmacological blockade with a selective K V 2.1 antagonist reduces steady-state outward K V currents by ϳ60 -70% (2, 5). In addition to K V 2.1, other K V channel ␣ subunits are expressed in pancreatic ␤-cells to a lesser extent, including K V 1.4 and K V 1.6, which account for less than 25% of outward K ϩ currents measured in these cells (2). The central role of Ca V channels in insulin secretion is well recognized (1). The predominant Ca V channel in ␤-cells is the L-type channel (long-lasting; Ca V 1.2/␣ 1C-a and Ca V 1.3/␣ 1D ) (6, 7). T...

Pancreatic beta cells and cell lines were used in the present study to test the hypothesis that the molecular mechanisms controlling exocytosis from neuronal cells may be used by the beta cell to regulate insulin secretion. Using specific antisera raised against an array of synaptic proteins (SNAREs) implicated in the control of synaptic vesicle fusion and exocytosis, we have identified the expression of several SNAREs in the islet beta cell lines, beta TC6-f7 and HIT-T15, as well as in pancreatic islets. The v-SNARE vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP)-2 but not VAMP-1 immunoreactive proteins were detected in beta TC6-f7 and HIT-T15 cells and pancreatic islets. In these islet-derived cell lines, this 18-kDa protein comigrated with rat brain synaptic vesicle VAMP-2, which was cleaved by Tetanus toxin (TeTx). Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy and electron microscopy localized the VAMP-2 to the cytoplasmic side of insulin containing secretory granule membrane. In streptolysin O permeabilized HIT-T15 cells, TeTx inhibited Ca2+-evoked insulin release by 83 +/- 4.3%, which correlated well to the cleavage of VAMP-2. The beta cell lines were also shown to express a second vesicle (v)-SNARE, cellubrevin. The proposed neuronal target (t)-membrane SNAREs, SNAP-25, and syntaxin isoforms 1-4 were also detected by Western blotting. The beta cell 25-kDa SNAP-25 protein and syntaxin isoforms 1-3 were specifically cleaved by botulinum A and C toxins, respectively, as observed with the brain isoforms. These potential t-SNARES were localized by immunofluorescence microscopy primarily to the plasma membrane in beta cell lines as well as in islet beta cells. To determine the specific identity of the immunoreactive syntaxin-2 and -3 isoforms and to explore the possibility that these beta cells express the putative Ca2+-sensing molecule synaptotagmin III, RT-PCR was performed on the beta cell lines. These studies confirmed that betaTC6-F7 cells express syntaxin-2 isoforms, 2 and 2', but not 2'' and express syntaxin-3. They further demonstrate the expression of synaptotagmin III. DNA sequence analysis revealed that rat and mouse beta cell syntaxins 2, 2' and synaptotagmin III are highly conserved at the nucleotide and predicted amino acid levels (95-98%). The presence of VAMP-2, nSec/Munc-18, SNAP-25 and syntaxin family of proteins, along with synaptotagmin III in the islet cells and in beta cell lines provide evidence that neurons and beta cells share similar molecular mechanisms for Ca2+-regulated exocytosis. The inhibition of Ca2+-evoked insulin secretion by the proteolytic cleavage of HIT-T15 cell VAMP-2 supports the hypothesis that these proteins play an integral role in the control of insulin exocytosis.