# A role and regulation of glucose responsive lipolysis in pancreatic beta cells

> **NIH VA I01** · IOWA CITY VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2021 · —

## Abstract

T2D is a major health problem for US veterans that imposes significant physical, financial, and emotional tolls.
Thus, there is a strong and urgent need for an effective and widely applicable therapy.
Excessive accumulation of lipids in beta cells is considered to contribute to the development of T2D.
Experimental data supports that lipid overload activates multiple stress pathways including inflammation, ER
stress, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction ultimately leading to the loss of functional beta cell
mass. We have found evidence that the accumulation of triglycerides (TG) in human islets from T2D donors is
associated with dysregulation of lipolysis, a previously unrecognized defect in T2D islets that accelerates TG
accumulation in T2D islets. Glucose activates lipolysis in non-diabetic human islets but not in T2D islets.
Furthermore, our preliminary data indicates that the dysregulation of lipolysis impairs insulin secretion by
reducing the stability of syntaxin1a (Stx1a), one of the SNARE complex proteins important for exocytosis.
When we tested the impact of dysregulation of lipolysis using human pseudoislets in which the expression of
the principal TG lipase (ATGL) is down-regulated, ATGL deficient human pseudoislets showed excessive lipid
droplet (LD) accumulation and impaired insulin secretion along with proteasomal degradation of Stx1a.
Importantly, the reduction of Stx1a is a defect reported in human T2D islets. Thus, we hypothesize that the
dysregulation of lipolysis in response to glucose reduces the stability of Stx1a and impairs insulin secretion in
T2D islets. To understand molecular mechanism behind the defects in T2D islets, it will be imperative to
determine how glucose upregulates lipolysis in beta cells, why glucose fails to upregulate lipolysis in T2D
islets, and how the impairment in lipolysis reduces Stx1a. We will approach our questions using human
pseudoislets and INS1 cells as models since they exhibit similarity with human islets in LD formation, the
regulation of lipolysis, and phenotypes of ATGL deficiency. We expect to obtain novel information regarding
how dysregulation of lipid mobilization causes beta cell dysfunction in T2D through the following aims.
Specific aim 1: Determine a mechanism by which ATGL increases lipolysis in response to glucose in
non-diabetic beta cells
We will systematically test potential targets by which glucose increases lipolysis in INS1 cells and non-diabetic
human beta cells. Aim 1a will test which glucose generated signals regulates lipolysis in beta cells. Aim 1b-d
will test whether glucose increases lipolysis by modifying ATGL, co-lipases, or perilipins.
Specific aim 2: Determine a mechanism by which lipolysis is dysregulated in type 2 diabetic beta cells
Aim 1 dissects a mechanism by which glucose regulates lipolysis in beta cells. Leveraging on the information
from Aim 1, we will determine why T2D islets are unable to increase lipolysis in response to glucose and how
we...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10114796
- **Project number:** 1I01BX005107-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** IOWA CITY VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Yumi Imai
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-01-01 → 2024-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10114796

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10114796, A role and regulation of glucose responsive lipolysis in pancreatic beta cells (1I01BX005107-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10114796. Licensed CC0.

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