The expression of insulin receptor mRNA was examined in rat pancreatic islet cells by single-cell reverse transcriptase (RT)–polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Single cells from disaggregated islets were individually isolated in a microcapillary pipet, and the β-cells were identified by amplification of the mRNA for insulin. We found that in single β-cells, the mRNA for the insulin receptor was also expressed. The fraction of single islet cells expressing both insulin receptor and insulin mRNAs corresponds closely to the fraction of β-cells in the disaggregated islet cell preparation. These results indicate that normal β-cells have the potential to express authentic insulin receptors. Immunohistochemical analysis was insufficiently sensitive for assaying insulin receptor protein; however, insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) was readily immunolocalized in islet β-cells. Since IRS-1 links several cell surface receptors, including those for insulin and IGF-I, to distal signal transduction pathways, our observations indicate that hormonal regulation of islet β-cells potentially involves the same signal transduction pathway that mediates insulin and growth factor signaling in peripheral insulin target tissue cell types.
Original Articles|
June 01 1996
Expression of Insulin Receptor mRNA and Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 in Pancreatic Islet β-Cells
Mark C Harbeck;
Mark C Harbeck
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Diane C Louie;
Diane C Louie
Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital
New York, New York
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Jennie Howland;
Jennie Howland
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Bryan A Wolf;
Bryan A Wolf
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Paul L Rothenberg
Paul L Rothenberg
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Paul L. Rothenberg, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, B-101 Richards Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6082.
Diabetes 1996;45(6):711–717
Article history
Received:
April 18 1995
Revision Received:
January 25 1996
Accepted:
January 25 1996
PubMed:
8635642
Citation
Mark C Harbeck, Diane C Louie, Jennie Howland, Bryan A Wolf, Paul L Rothenberg; Expression of Insulin Receptor mRNA and Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 in Pancreatic Islet β-Cells. Diabetes 1 June 1996; 45 (6): 711–717. https://doi.org/10.2337/diab.45.6.711
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