Miniglucagon: a local regulator of islet physiology

Miniglucagon, or glucagon-[19-29], is partially processed from glucagon in its target tissues where it modulates the glucagon action. In the islets of Langerhans, the glucagon-producing A cells contain miniglucagon at a significant level (2-5% of the glucagon content). We studied a possible control of insulin release by miniglucagon using as a model the MIN6 cell line. Miniglucagon, in the 10(-14) to 10(-9) M range, inhibited insulin release induced by glucose, glucagon, tGLP-1, or glibenclamide by 85-100% with an IC50 close to 1 pM. While no change in the cyclic AMP content was noted, Ca2+ influx was reduced in parallel with the inhibition of insulin release. Use of pharmacological modulators of L-type voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels and bacterial toxins indicates that miniglucagon blocks insulin release by closing this type of channel via a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein. Miniglucagon is a novel, possibly physiologically relevant, local regulator of islet function.