Cell Signaling Pathways: Insulin Flashcards
What is a major metabolic fuel?
glucose
Circulating levels of glucose are tightly regulated through the opposing actions of principally:
insulin
glucagon
Insulin ___ glucose levels
reduces
Glucagon ____ glucose levels
raises
What does the mammalian brain depend upon as its primary/major source of energy?
glucose
Glucose is derived from what materials?
those ingested in the diet
Carbs exist as : (3)
polysaccharides
disaccharides
monosaccharides
starch and glycogen are:
polysaccharrides
sucrose, maltose, and lactose are:
disaccharides
galactose, glucose, and fructose are:
monosaccharides
What represents about 60% of the carb intake for Westerners?
starch
Carbs are broken down into what in the gut?
hexoses
Can hexoses pass freely through the cell membrane?
no
How are hexoses absorbed since they can’t pass freely though the CM?
absorbed via glucose transporters like GLUT4
Insulin released by Beta Islet cells when blood glucose is (low/high).
high
How is blood glucose regulated when it’s high?
high blood glucose –> insulin released by Beta Islet cells in pancreas (also inhibits glucagon release by Alpha Islet cells) –> increased uptake of glucose –> glucose converted into glycogen (muscle and liver) or triglycerides (adipocytes)–> normal blood glucose levels
Which organ releases insulin?
pancreas
How is blood glucose regulated when it’s low?
low blood glucose –> glucagon released by Alpha Islet cells in pancreas (also inhibits insulin release by Beta Islet cells) –> glycogen and triglycerides converted into glucose and fatty acids –> normal blood glucose levels
Type of post-translational modification that effects protein function:
phosphorylation
Is phosphorylation reversible?
yes
What can REVERSIBLY turn an enzyme or receptor on or off altering its function?
phosphorylation
What does reversible phosphorylation result in?
conformational change in structure of enzymes and receptors causing them to become activated or deactivated
The protein-phosphate bond is a (low/high) energy bond.
high
Where does phosphorylation occur?
specific side chains of enzymes or receptors: serine, threonine, tyrosine, histidine
enzyme catalyzing a phosphorylation reaction:
kinase
enzyme that uses a high energy source of phosphate; most commonly ATP
kinase
enzyme that removes phosphate residues (dephosphorylation):
phosphatase
Insulin can decrease blood glucose in 2 ways:
- dephosphorylates via protein phosphatase which activates glycogen synthase
- dephosphorylates via protein phosphatase which deactivates glycogen phosphorylase
* * both preventing conversion to glucose 1-phosphate but allowing conversion from glucose to glycogen and storage of glycogen
Glucagon/epinephrine can increase blood glucose in 2 ways:
- Activates cAMP which activates protein kinase A which phosphorylates and inhibits glycogen synthase
- Activates cAMP which activates phosphorylase kinase which phosphorylates and activates glycogen phosphorylase
* *both lead to conversion of glycogen to glucose 1-phosphate
What is the first molecule in insulin biosynthesis?
Proinsulin
Which molecules cleave proinsulin at specific sites?
prohormone convertase 2 and 3
The cleavage of proinsulin leads to the production of:
active insulin and C-peptide
Where is insulin stored?
granules in B-cells of pancreas
Which molecule activates insulin gene expression?
Ca2+
Ca2+ activates insulin gene expression via which protein?
Calcium Responsive Element Binding (CREB) Protein