The GTPase Rab37 Participates in the Control of Insulin Exocytosis

PLoS One. 2013 Jun 27;8(6):e68255. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068255. Print 2013.

Abstract

Rab37 belongs to a subclass of Rab GTPases regulating exocytosis, including also Rab3a and Rab27a. Proteomic studies indicate that Rab37 is associated with insulin-containing large dense core granules of pancreatic β-cells. In agreement with these observations, we detected Rab37 in extracts of β-cell lines and human pancreatic islets and confirmed by confocal microscopy the localization of the GTPase on insulin-containing secretory granules. We found that, as is the case for Rab3a and Rab27a, reduction of Rab37 levels by RNA interference leads to impairment in glucose-induced insulin secretion and to a decrease in the number of granules in close apposition to the plasma membrane. Pull-down experiments revealed that, despite similar functional effects, Rab37 does not interact with known Rab3a or Rab27a effectors and is likely to operate through a different mechanism. Exposure of insulin-secreting cells to proinflammatory cytokines, fatty acids or oxidized low-density lipoproteins, mimicking physiopathological conditions that favor the development of diabetes, resulted in a decrease in Rab37 expression. Our data identify Rab37 as an additional component of the machinery governing exocytosis of β-cells and suggest that impaired expression of this GTPase may contribute to defective insulin release in pre-diabetic and diabetic conditions.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line
  • Exocytosis / physiology*
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Glucose / administration & dosage
  • Glucose / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Human Growth Hormone / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Insulin / metabolism*
  • Insulin Secretion
  • Islets of Langerhans / cytology
  • Islets of Langerhans / enzymology
  • Islets of Langerhans / metabolism
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • RNA Interference
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Transfection
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • rab27 GTP-Binding Proteins
  • rab3A GTP-Binding Protein / genetics
  • rab3A GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • Insulin
  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • rab27 GTP-Binding Proteins
  • Human Growth Hormone
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Rab37 protein, human
  • RAB27A protein, human
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins
  • rab3A GTP-Binding Protein
  • Glucose

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (http://www.snf.ch) grant number 31003A-127254. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.