This article reviews evidence for a pivotal role of glucokinase as glucose sensor of the pancreatic β-cells. Glucokinase explains the capacity, hexose specificity, affinities, sigmoidicity, and anomeric preference of pancreatic islet glycolysis, and because stimulation of glucose metabolism is a prerequisite of glucose stimulation of insulin release, glucokinase also explains many characteristics of this β-cell function. Glucokinase of the β-cell is induced or activated by glucose in contrast to liver glucokinase, which is regulated by insulin. Tissue-specific regulation corresponds with observations that liver and pancreatic β-cell glucokinase are structurally distinct. Glucokinase could play a glucose-sensor role in hepatocytes as well, and certain forms of diabetes mellitus might be due to glucokinase deficiencies in pancreatic β-cells, hepatocytes, or both.
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Perspectives in Diabetes|
June 01 1990
Glucokinase as Glucose Sensor and Metabolic Signal Generator in Pancreatic β-Cells and Hepatocytes
Franz M Matschinsky
Franz M Matschinsky
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Diabetes Research Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Address correspondence and reprint requests to Franz M. Matschinsky, MD, Diabetes Research Center, 501 Medical Education Building, 36th and Hamilton Walk, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104–6015.
Diabetes 1990;39(6):647–652
Article history
Received:
November 21 1989
Revision Received:
January 30 1990
Accepted:
January 30 1990
PubMed:
2189759
Citation
Franz M Matschinsky; Glucokinase as Glucose Sensor and Metabolic Signal Generator in Pancreatic β-Cells and Hepatocytes. Diabetes 1 June 1990; 39 (6): 647–652. https://doi.org/10.2337/diab.39.6.647
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