Impaired insulin secretion and glucose intolerance in synaptotagmin-7 null mutant mice

N Gustavsson, Y Lao, A Maximov… - Proceedings of the …, 2008 - National Acad Sciences
N Gustavsson, Y Lao, A Maximov, JC Chuang, E Kostromina, JJ Repa, C Li, GK Radda…
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2008National Acad Sciences
Vertebrates express at least 15 different synaptotagmins with the same domain structure but
diverse localizations and tissue distributions. Synaptotagmin-1,-2, and-9 act as calcium
sensors for the fast phrase of neurotransmitter release, and synaptotagmin-12 acts as a
calcium-independent modulator of release. The exact functions of the remaining 11
synaptotagmins, however, have not been established. By analogy to the role of
synaptotagmin-1,-2, and-9 in neurotransmission, these other synaptotagmins may serve as …
Vertebrates express at least 15 different synaptotagmins with the same domain structure but diverse localizations and tissue distributions. Synaptotagmin-1,-2, and -9 act as calcium sensors for the fast phrase of neurotransmitter release, and synaptotagmin-12 acts as a calcium-independent modulator of release. The exact functions of the remaining 11 synaptotagmins, however, have not been established. By analogy to the role of synaptotagmin-1, -2, and -9 in neurotransmission, these other synaptotagmins may serve as Ca2+ transducers regulating other Ca2+-dependent membrane processes, such as insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells. Of these other synaptotagmins, synaptotagmin-7 is one of the most abundant and is present in pancreatic β-cells. To determine whether synaptotagmin-7 regulates Ca2+-dependent insulin secretion, we analyzed synaptotagmin-7 null mutant mice for glucose tolerance and insulin release. Here, we show that synaptotagmin-7 is required for the maintenance of systemic glucose tolerance and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Mutant mice have normal insulin sensitivity, insulin production, islet architecture and ultrastructural organization, and metabolic and calcium responses but exhibit impaired glucose-induced insulin secretion, indicating a calcium-sensing defect during insulin-containing secretory granule exocytosis. Taken together, our findings show that synaptotagmin-7 functions as a positive regulator of insulin secretion and may serve as a calcium sensor controlling insulin secretion in pancreatic β cells.
National Acad Sciences