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Title: The human insulin mRNA is partly translated via a cap- and eIF4A-independent mechanism

Journal Article · · Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
 [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Biomedicum, Husargatan 3 Box 571, SE-751 23 Uppsala (Sweden)
  2. Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, RM 810, McIntyre Medical Sciences Building, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G1Y6 (Canada)

Highlights: {yields} The polypyrimidine tract binding protein binds to the 5'-UTR of the insulin mRNA. {yields} Insulin mRNA can be translated via a cap-independent mechanism. {yields} The fraction cap-independent insulin synthesis increases during conditions of stress. {yields} The {beta}-cell is able to uphold basal insulin biosynthesis under conditions of stress. -- Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate whether cap-independent insulin mRNA translation occurs in human pancreatic islets at basal conditions, during stimulation at a high glucose concentration and at conditions of nitrosative stress. We also aimed at correlating cap-independent insulin mRNA translation with binding of the IRES trans-acting factor polypyrimidine tract binding protein (PTB) to the 5'-UTR of insulin mRNA. For this purpose, human islets were incubated for 2 h in the presence of low (1.67 mM) or high glucose (16.7 mM). Nitrosative stress was induced by addition of 1 mM DETA/NO and cap-dependent mRNA translation was inhibited with hippuristanol. Insulin biosynthesis rates were determined by radioactive labeling and immunoprecipitation. PTB affinity to insulin mRNA 5'-UTR was assessed by a magnetic micro bead pull-down procedure. We observed that in the presence of 1.67 mM glucose, approximately 70% of the insulin mRNA translation was inhibited by hippuristanol. Corresponding value from islets incubated at 16.7 mM glucose was 93%. DETA/NO treatment significantly decreased the translation of insulin by 85% in high glucose incubated islets, and by 50% at a low glucose concentration. The lowered insulin biosynthesis rates of DETA/NO-exposed islets were further suppressed by hippuristanol with 55% at 16.7 mM glucose but not at 1.67 mM glucose. Thus, hippuristanol-induced inhibition of insulin biosynthesis was less pronounced in DETA/NO-treated islets as compared to control islets. We observed also that PTB bound specifically to the insulin mRNA 5'-UTR in vitro, and that this binding corresponded well with rates of cap-independent insulin biosynthesis at the different conditions. In conclusion, our studies show that insulin biosynthesis is mainly cap-dependent at a high glucose concentration, but that the cap-independent biosynthesis of insulin can constitute as much as 40-100% of all insulin biosynthesis during conditions of nitrosative stress. These data suggest that the pancreatic {beta}-cell is able to uphold basal insulin synthesis at conditions of starvation and stress via a cap- and eIF4A-independent mechanism, possibly mediated by the binding of PTB to the 5'-UTR of the human insulin mRNA.

OSTI ID:
22207488
Journal Information:
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 412, Issue 4; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0006-291X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English