Regulation of Lipid Metabolism by Diacylglycerol Kinases in Pancreatic β-cells

Abstract

The appropriate secretion of insulin from pancreatic β-cells is essential for regulating blood glucose levels. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) involves the following steps: Glucose uptake by pancreatic β-cells is metabolized to produce ATP. Increased ATP levels result in the closure of ATP-sensitive K(+) (KATP) channels, resulting in membrane depolarization that activates voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels to subsequently trigger insulin secretion. In addition to this primary mechanism through KATP channels, insulin secretion is regulated by cyclic AMP and diacylglycerol (DAG), which mediate the effects of receptor agonists such as GLP-1 and acetylcholine. Glucose by itself can also increase the levels of these second messengers. Recently, we have shown an obligatory role of diacylglycerol kinase (DGK), an enzyme catalyzing the conversion of DAG to phosphatidic acid, in GSIS. Of the 10 known DGK isoforms, we focused on type-I DGK isoforms (i.e., DGKα, DGKβ, and DGKγ), which are activated by Ca(2+). The protein expression of DGKα and DGKγ was detected in mouse pancreatic islets and the pancreatic β-cell line MIN6. Depletion of these DGKs by a specific inhibitor or siRNA decreased both [Ca(2+)]i and insulin secretion in MIN6 cells. Similar [Ca(2+)]i responses were induced by DiC8, a membrane-permeable DAG analog. These results suggest that DGKα and DGKγ play crucial roles in insulin secretion, and that their depletion impairs insulin secretion through DAG accumulation. In this article, we review the current understanding of the roles of DAG- and DGK-signaling in pancreatic β-cells, and discuss their pathophysiological roles in the progression of type-2 diabetes.