Insulin secretion stimulated by l-arginine and its metabolite l-ornithine depends on Gαi2

Abstract

Bordetella pertussis toxin (PTx), also known as islet-activating protein, induces insulin secretion by ADP-ribosylation of inhibitory G proteins. PTx-induced insulin secretion may result either from inactivation of Gαo proteins or from combined inactivation of Gαo, Gαi1, Gαi2, and Gαi3 isoforms. However, the specific role of Gαi2 in pancreatic β-cells still remains unknown. In global (Gαi2−/−) and β-cell-specific (Gαi2βcko) gene-targeted Gαi2 mouse models, we studied glucose homeostasis and islet functions. Insulin secretion experiments and intracellular Ca2+ measurements were used to characterize Gαi2 function in vitro. Gαi2−/− and Gαi2βcko mice showed an unexpected metabolic phenotype, i.e., significantly lower plasma insulin levels upon intraperitoneal glucose challenge in Gαi2−/− and Gαi2βcko mice, whereas plasma glucose concentrations were unchanged in Gαi2−/− but significantly increased in Gαi2βcko mice. These findings indicate a novel albeit unexpected role for Gαi2 in the expression, turnover, and/or release of insulin from islets. Detection of insulin secretion in isolated islets did not show differences in response to high (16 mM) glucose concentrations between control and β-cell-specific Gαi2-deficient mice. In contrast, the two- to threefold increase in insulin secretion evoked by l-arginine or l-ornithine (in the presence of 16 mM glucose) was significantly reduced in islets lacking Gαi2. In accord with a reduced level of insulin secretion, intracellular calcium concentrations induced by the agonistic amino acid l-arginine did not reach control levels in β-cells. The presented analysis of gene-targeted mice provides novel insights in the role of β-cell Gαi2 showing that amino acid-induced insulin-release depends on Gαi2.