Can Insulin Production Suppress β Cell Growth?

Abstract

While insulin has mitogenic effects in many cell types, its effects on β cells remain elusive. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, Szabat et al. (2015) genetically block insulin production in adult β cells and show that this leads to a relief of ER stress, AKT activation, and increased β cell proliferation.

Exploring differentially expressed genes related to metabolism by RNA-Seq in porcine embryonic fibroblast after insulin treatment

“…6A and B ), there are numerous indications that insulin may have mitogenic effects in β cells, as it works the same way in other cell types. Inactivation of the insulin receptor gene in β cells, for example, results in a partial decrease in postnatal β cell proliferation in mice [ 30 ]. Surprisingly, mice with homozygous germline mutations in the two non-allelic mouse insulin genes exhibit an increase in islet cell proliferation rather than a reduction [ 31 ].…”

“…Surprisingly, mice with homozygous germline mutations in the two non-allelic mouse insulin genes exhibit an increase in islet cell proliferation rather than a reduction [ 31 ]. De Vas and Ferrer [ 30 ] also indicate that physiological insulin production can suppress β cell proliferation, counter to the well-known mitogenic actions of insulin in many cell types. In our study, the cell cycle-related genes are down-regulated by insulin, this may suppress proliferation, arrests cell cycle progression in PEF.…”