Munc18-1 regulates first-phase insulin release by promoting granule docking to multiple syntaxin isoforms

Eunjin Oh, Michael A. Kalwat, Min Jung Kim, Matthijs Verhage, Debbie C. Thurmond

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

56 Scopus citations

Abstract

Attenuated levels of the Sec1/Munc18 (SM) protein Munc18-1 in human islet β-cells is coincident with type 2 diabetes, although how Munc18-1 facilitates insulin secretion remains enigmatic. Herein, using conventional Munc18-1+/- and β-cell specific Munc18-1-/- knock-out mice, we establish that Munc18-1 is required for the first phase of insulin secretion. Conversely, human islets expressing elevated levels of Munc18-1 elicited significant potentiation of only first-phase insulin release. Insulin secretory changes positively correlated with insulin granule number at the plasma membrane: Munc18-1-deficient cells lacked 35% of the normal component of predocked insulin secretory granules, whereas cells with elevated levels of Munc18-1 exhibited a ∼20% increase in pre-docked granule number. Pre-docked syntaxin 1-based SNARE complexes bound by Munc18-1 were detected in ∼-cell lysates but, surprisingly, were reduced by elevation of Munc18-1 levels. Paradoxically, elevated Munc18-1 levels coincided with increased binding of syntaxin 4 to VAMP2 at the plasma membrane. Accordingly, syntaxin 4 was a requisite for Munc18-1 potentiation of insulin release. Munc18c, the cognate SM isoform for syntaxin 4, failed to bind SNARE complexes. Given that Munc18-1 does not pair with syntaxin 4, these data suggest a novel indirect role for Munc18-1 in facilitating syntaxin 4-mediated granule pre-docking to support first-phase insulin exocytosis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)25821-25833
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume287
Issue number31
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 27 2012
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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