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Published on: April 12, 2021
Glutamate as intracellular and extracellular signals in pancreatic islet functions
Harumi Takahashi1, Norihide Yokoi1, Susumu Seino1
1Division of Molecular and Metabolic Medicine, Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine.
Abstract:
l-Glutamate is one of the most abundant amino acids in the body and is a constituent of proteins and a substrate in metabolism. It is well known that glutamate serves as a primary excitatory neurotransmitter and a critical neuromodulator in the brain. Recent studies have shown that in addition to its pivotal role in neural functions, glutamate plays many important roles in a variety of cellular functions, including those as intracellular and extracellular signals. In pancreatic islets, glutamate is now known to be required for the normal regulation of insulin secretion, such as incretin-induced insulin secretion. In this review, we primarily discuss the physiological and pathophysiological roles of glutamate as intracellular and extracellular signals in the functions of pancreatic islets.
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