Abstract
Relatively high levels of d-alanine (d-Ala), an endogenous d-amino acid, have been found in the endocrine systems of several animals, especially in the anterior pituitary; however, its functional importance remains largely unknown. We observed d-Ala in islets of Langerhans isolated from rat pancreas in significantly higher levels than in the anterior/intermediate pituitary; specifically, 180 ± 60 fmol d-Ala per islet (300 ± 100 nmol/g islet), and 10 ± 2.5 nmol/g of wet tissue in pituitary. Additionally, 12 ± 5% of the free Ala in the islets was in the d form, almost an order of magnitude higher than the percentage of d-Ala found in the pituitary. Surprisingly, glucose stimulation of the islets resulted in d-Ala release of 0.6 ± 0.5 fmol per islet. As d-Ala is stored in islets and released in response to changes in extracellular glucose, d-Ala may have a hormonal role.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 328-333 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications |
| Volume | 447 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2 2014 |
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Keywords
- Capillary electrophoresis
- Chiral separation
- d-Alanine
- d-Amino acid
- Endocrine system
- Islets of Langerhans
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Cite this
D-Alanine in the islets of Langerhans of rat pancreas. / Ota, Nobutoshi; Rubakhin, Stanislav; Sweedler, Jonathan V.
In: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 447, No. 2, 02.05.2014, p. 328-333.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - D-Alanine in the islets of Langerhans of rat pancreas
AU - Ota, Nobutoshi
AU - Rubakhin, Stanislav
AU - Sweedler, Jonathan V
PY - 2014/5/2
Y1 - 2014/5/2
N2 - Relatively high levels of d-alanine (d-Ala), an endogenous d-amino acid, have been found in the endocrine systems of several animals, especially in the anterior pituitary; however, its functional importance remains largely unknown. We observed d-Ala in islets of Langerhans isolated from rat pancreas in significantly higher levels than in the anterior/intermediate pituitary; specifically, 180 ± 60 fmol d-Ala per islet (300 ± 100 nmol/g islet), and 10 ± 2.5 nmol/g of wet tissue in pituitary. Additionally, 12 ± 5% of the free Ala in the islets was in the d form, almost an order of magnitude higher than the percentage of d-Ala found in the pituitary. Surprisingly, glucose stimulation of the islets resulted in d-Ala release of 0.6 ± 0.5 fmol per islet. As d-Ala is stored in islets and released in response to changes in extracellular glucose, d-Ala may have a hormonal role.
AB - Relatively high levels of d-alanine (d-Ala), an endogenous d-amino acid, have been found in the endocrine systems of several animals, especially in the anterior pituitary; however, its functional importance remains largely unknown. We observed d-Ala in islets of Langerhans isolated from rat pancreas in significantly higher levels than in the anterior/intermediate pituitary; specifically, 180 ± 60 fmol d-Ala per islet (300 ± 100 nmol/g islet), and 10 ± 2.5 nmol/g of wet tissue in pituitary. Additionally, 12 ± 5% of the free Ala in the islets was in the d form, almost an order of magnitude higher than the percentage of d-Ala found in the pituitary. Surprisingly, glucose stimulation of the islets resulted in d-Ala release of 0.6 ± 0.5 fmol per islet. As d-Ala is stored in islets and released in response to changes in extracellular glucose, d-Ala may have a hormonal role.
KW - Capillary electrophoresis
KW - Chiral separation
KW - d-Alanine
KW - d-Amino acid
KW - Endocrine system
KW - Islets of Langerhans
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84899949420&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84899949420&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.03.153
DO - 10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.03.153
M3 - Article
C2 - 24721429
AN - SCOPUS:84899949420
VL - 447
SP - 328
EP - 333
JO - Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
JF - Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
SN - 0006-291X
IS - 2
ER -