[HTML][HTML] SWELL1 is a glucose sensor regulating β-cell excitability and systemic glycaemia

C Kang, L Xie, SK Gunasekar, A Mishra… - Nature …, 2018 - nature.com
C Kang, L Xie, SK Gunasekar, A Mishra, Y Zhang, S Pai, Y Gao, A Kumar, AW Norris
Nature communications, 2018nature.com
Insulin secretion is initiated by activation of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCC) to trigger
Ca2+-mediated insulin vesicle fusion with the β-cell plasma membrane. The firing of VGCC
requires β-cell membrane depolarization, which is regulated by a balance of depolarizing
and hyperpolarizing ionic currents. Here, we show that SWELL1 mediates a swell-activated,
depolarizing chloride current (I Cl, SWELL) in both murine and human β-cells. Hypotonic
and glucose-stimulated β-cell swelling activates SWELL1-mediated I Cl, SWELL and this …
Abstract
Insulin secretion is initiated by activation of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCC) to trigger Ca2+-mediated insulin vesicle fusion with the β-cell plasma membrane. The firing of VGCC requires β-cell membrane depolarization, which is regulated by a balance of depolarizing and hyperpolarizing ionic currents. Here, we show that SWELL1 mediates a swell-activated, depolarizing chloride current (ICl,SWELL) in both murine and human β-cells. Hypotonic and glucose-stimulated β-cell swelling activates SWELL1-mediated ICl,SWELL and this contributes to membrane depolarization and activation of VGCC-dependent intracellular calcium signaling. SWELL1 depletion in MIN6 cells and islets significantly impairs glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Tamoxifen-inducible β-cell-targeted Swell1 KO mice have normal fasting serum glucose and insulin levels but impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and glucose tolerance; and this is further exacerbated in mild obesity. Our results reveal that β-cell SWELL1 modulates insulin secretion and systemic glycaemia by linking glucose-mediated β-cell swelling to membrane depolarization and activation of VGCC-triggered calcium signaling.
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