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Cellular autophagy in alpha cells plays a role in the maintenance of islet architecture.

Research Project

Project/Area Number 17K09848
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Research Field Metabolomics
Research InstitutionJuntendo University

Principal Investigator

Goto Hiromasa  順天堂大学, 医学部, 准教授 (90622746)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) 綿田 裕孝  順天堂大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (60343480)
宮塚 健  順天堂大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (60622363)
Project Period (FY) 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Keywordsα細胞 / オートファジー / グルカゴン / Atg7 / p62 / グルカゴン分泌 / オートファジー不全 / 膵α細胞 / 糖尿病
Outline of Final Research Achievements

Autophagy is known to play a pivotal role in intracellular protein quality control. Whereas autophagy is essential for maintaining β-cell function in pancreatic islets, it remains unclear as to how the cellular autophagy affects the homeostasis and function of glucagon-secreting α cells.
To investigate the role of autophagy in α cells, we generated a mutant mouse model lacking Atg7, a key molecule for autophagosome formation, specifically in α cells. Histological analysis demonstrated more glucagon-positive cells, with a multilayered structure, in the islets under Atg7 deficiency, although metabolic profiles, such as body weight, blood glucose, and plasma glucagon levels were comparable between Atg7-deficient mice and control littermates. These findings suggest that α-cell autophagy plays a role in maintaining α-cell area and normal islet architecture but appears to be dispensable for metabolic homeostasis.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

タンパク質分解経路の1つであるオートファジーは免疫応答、発癌抑制といった病態において重要な役割を果たすことが知られている。最近、膵α細胞からのグルカゴン分泌異常が糖尿病の病態を修飾することが明らかとなってきたが、膵α細胞においてオートファジー機構がどのような役割を果たしているのか未解明である。
そこで膵α細胞特異的にオートファジー不全を誘導する遺伝子改変マウスを作製した結果、 同マウスの膵島の一部ではα細胞の過形成を認め、膵島の形態異常が起きることが明らかとなった。このことはオートファジー機構がα細胞の恒常性維持に不可欠であることを示している。

Report

(4 results)
  • 2019 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2018 Research-status Report
  • 2017 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (2 results)

All 2019 Other

All Int'l Joint Research (1 results) Journal Article (1 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 1 results,  Peer Reviewed: 1 results,  Open Access: 1 results)

  • [Int'l Joint Research] Univ. of Pittsburgh School of Medicine(米国)

    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
  • [Journal Article] Cellular autophagy in α cells plays a role in the maintenance of islet architecture2019

    • Author(s)
      Himuro Miwa、Miyatsuka Takeshi、Suzuki Luka、Miura Masaki、Katahira Takehiro、Goto Hiromasa、Nishida Yuya、Sasaki Shugo、Koike Masato、Shiota Chiyo、Gittes George K、Fujitani Yoshio、Watada Hirotaka
    • Journal Title

      Journal of the Endocrine Society

      Volume: 3 Pages: 1979-92

    • DOI

      10.1210/js.2019-00075

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research

URL: 

Published: 2017-04-28   Modified: 2022-02-21  

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