Nutrient-mediated modulation of incretin gene expression: a systematic review

Incretins are a cluster of hormones which are secreted and released into the bloodstream after food intake by gut enteroendocrine cells, reaching to pancreas where produce a potentiating effect on insulin release. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of incretins gene expression mediated by nutrients using specific search equations in the PubMed database. The two most relevant incretins are GLP-1 and GIP, which come from proglucagon and proGIP precursor respectively. GLP-1 is mainly synthesized and released by ileum and colon L cells, in contrast to GIP which does it by K cells in duodenum and proximal jejunum. It has been shown that canonical Wnt signalling pathway is closely related to the production of these hormones, since transcription factor TCF7L2 affects proglucagon and proGIP gene expression in L and K enteroendocrine cells. On the other hand, it has been shown that the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway can produce N-linked glycosylation of -catenin, an essential component of canonical Wnt signalling. This process hinders β-catenin phosphorylation and, thereby prevents proteasome degradation. Increasing glucose concentration enhances the hexosamine pathway and thus β-catenin glycosylation. This causes a β-catenin cytoplasmic accumulation allowing entry into nucleus, where it exerts its action by binding to a clump of molecules and transcription factors, allowing to express the target genes, including the incretin hormones. There is also evidence that glucose, through the hexosamine pathway, can induces autocrine activation of Wnt signalling pathway by stimulating secretion of Wnt proteins.