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Identification of functional ionotropic glutamate receptor proteins in pancreatic β‐cells and in islets of Langerhans
Author(s) -
Elek Molnár,
Anikó Váradi,
R. A. Jeffrey McIlhinney,
S. J. H. Ashcroft
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(95)00890-l
Subject(s) - ampa receptor , kainate receptor , ionotropic glutamate receptor , glutamate receptor , ionotropic effect , metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 , pancreatic islets , microbiology and biotechnology , nmda receptor , receptor , metabotropic glutamate receptor 6 , biology , metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 , protein subunit , biochemistry , metabotropic glutamate receptor , chemistry , endocrinology , insulin , islet , gene
The presence of ionotropic glutamate receptor proteins in islets of Langerhans and pancreatic β‐cell lines (MIN6, HIT T15, RINm5F) was investigated. For this purpose immunoblot analysis of β‐cell membranes was performed with subunit‐specific antibodies. We identified NMDAR1 subunits of the NMDA and KA‐2 subunits of the kainate receptors, but did not detect GluR1 subunits of the AMPA receptor. The receptor subunits present were shown to be glycosylated. β‐cell membranes contained specific binding sites for glutamate receptor ligands, and NMDA increased insulin secretion. These results demonstrate that ionotropic glutamate receptor proteins, similar to those in the central nervous system, are expressed in rat pancreatic β‐cells.