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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Pancreatic Islet Isolation and Purification from Lewis Rats Using Enzymatic Digestion and Density-Gradient Separation
Published on: April 3, 2026
Segregation of two glutaminase isoforms in islets of Langerhans
David Baglietto-Vargas1, Juan F López-Téllez, Inés Moreno-González
1Departamento de Biología Celular, Genética y Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain.
Abstract:
Despite the importance of glutamatergic signalling in the co-ordination of hormone secretion, the identity of the enzyme for the production of glutamate in beta-cells is still unresolved. We have found that the endocrine pancreas co-expresses two isoforms of GA (glutaminase), denoted as kidney-type (KGA) and liver-type (LGA), with a complementary cellular pattern of expression. Whereas KGA was mainly present in alpha-cells, LGA was very abundant in beta-cells. This spatial segregation may have important functional implications, facilitating a differential regulation of glutamate production in insulin- and glucagon-secreting cells.
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