Molecular characterization of the glucose-sensing mechanism in the clonal insulin-secreting BRIN-BD11 cell line

BRIN-BD11 cells represent a novel insulin-secreting cell line generated by electrofusion. Molecular characterization of these cells demonstrated the presence of mRNA and protein for the two key elements of the beta cell glucose-sensing system, GLUT2 and glucokinase. While levels of GLUT2 expression and 3-O-methyl-D-glucose equilibration were similar for both the BRIN-BD11 cell line and the parental control RINm5F cells, glucokinase expression tvas substantially higher in BRIN-BD11 cells, Expression of the two-component K-ATP channel complex, KIR6.2 and SUR1, was similar in both cells, However, while control RINm5F cells were completely unresponsive to glucose, BRIM-BD11 cells responded to physiological millimolar concentrations of this hexose sugar. These studies strongly suggest that the glucose-sensing ability of insulin-secreting cells is largely dictated by the level of glucokinase, as opposed to GLUT2, expression, Thus, BRIN-BD11 cells expressing the key attributes of the normal beta cell provide an interesting model for elucidation of regulatory principles of beta cell function. (C) 1998 Academic Press.