A p21-activated kinase (PAK1) signaling cascade coordinately regulates F-actin remodeling and insulin granule exocytosis in pancreatic β cells

Michael A. Kalwat, Stephanie M. Yoder, Zhanxiang Wang, Debbie C. Thurmond

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

54 Scopus citations

Abstract

Human islet studies implicate an important signaling role for the Cdc42 effector protein p21-activated kinase (PAK1) in the sustained/second-phase of insulin secretion. Because human islets from type 2 diabetic donors lack ∼80% of normal PAK1 protein levels, the mechanistic requirement for PAK1 signaling in islet function was interrogated. Similar to MIN6 β cells, human islets elicited glucose-stimulated PAK1 activation that was sensitive to the PAK1 inhibitor, IPA3. Given that sustained insulin secretion has been correlated with glucose-induced filamentous actin (F-actin) remodeling, we tested the hypothesis that a Cdc42-activated PAK1 signaling cascade is required to elicit F-actin remodeling to mobilize granules to the cell surface. Live-cell imaging captured the glucose-induced cortical F-actin remodeling in MIN6 β cells; IPA3-mediated inhibition of PAK1 abolished this remodeling. IPA3 also ablated glucose-stimulated insulin granule accumulation at the plasma membrane, consistent with its role in sustained/second-phase insulin release. Both IPA3 and a selective inhibitor of the Cdc42 GTPase, ML-141, blunted the glucose-stimulated activation of Raf-1, suggesting Raf-1 to be downstream of Cdc42 → PAK1. IPA3 also inhibited MEK1/2 activation, implicating the MEK1/2 → ERK1/2 cascade to occur downstream of PAK1. Importantly, PD0325901, a new selective inhibitor of MEK1/2 → ERK1/2 activation, impaired F-actin remodeling and the sustained/amplification pathway of insulin release. Taken together, these data suggest that glucose-mediated activation of Cdc42 leads to activation of PAK1 and prompts activation of its downstream targets Raf-1, MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 to elicit F-actin remodeling and recruitment of insulin granules to the plasma membrane to support the sustained phase of insulin release.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)808-816
Number of pages9
JournalBiochemical Pharmacology
Volume85
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 15 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Cdc42
  • Exocytosis
  • F-actin remodeling
  • Insulin granule
  • Islet β cell
  • PAK1

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology

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