The terminal step in hepatic gluconeogenesis is catalyzed by glucose-6-phosphatase, an enzyme activity residing in the endoplasmic reticulum and consisting of a catalytic subunit (glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase)) and putative accessory transport proteins. We show that Zucker diabetic fatty rats (fa/fa), which are known to exhibit impaired suppression of hepatic glucose output, have 2.4-fold more glucose-6-phosphatase activity in liver than lean controls. To define the potential contribution of increased hepatic G6Pase to development of diabetes, we infused recombinant adenoviruses containing the G6Pase cDNA (AdCMV-G6Pase) or the ␤-galactosidase gene into normal rats. Animals were studied by one of three protocols as follows: protocol 1, fed ad libitum for 7 days; protocol 2, fed ad libitum for 5 days, fasted overnight, and subjected to an oral glucose tolerance test; protocol 3, fed ad libitum for 4 days, fasted for 48 h, subjected to oral glucose tolerance test, and then allowed to refeed overnight. Hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase enzymatic activity was increased by 1.6 -3-fold in microsomes isolated from AdCMV-G6Pase-treated animals in all three protocols, and the resultant metabolic profile was similar in each case. AdCMV-G6Pase-treated animals exhibited several of the abnormalities associated with early stage non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, including glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, decreased hepatic glycogen content, and increased peripheral (muscle) triglyceride stores. These animals also exhibited significant decreases in circulating free fatty acids and triglycerides, changes not normally associated with the disease. Our studies show that overexpression of G6Pase in liver is sufficient to perturb whole animal glucose and lipid homeostasis, possibly contributing to the development of metabolic abnormalities associated with diabetes.

Glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucose 6-phosphate (Glu-6-P) to free glucose and, as the last step in gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis in liver, is thought to play an important role in glucose homeostasis. G6Pase activity appears to be conferred by a set of proteins localized to the endoplasmic reticulum, including a glucose-6-phosphate translocase, a G6Pase phosphohydrolase or catalytic subunit, and glucose and inorganic phosphate transporters in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. In the current study, we used a recombinant adenovirus containing the cDNA encoding the G6Pase catalytic subunit (AdCMV-G6Pase) to evaluate the metabolic impact of overexpression of the enzyme in primary hepatocytes. We found that AdCMVG6Pase-treated liver cells contain significantly less glycogen and Glu-6-P, but unchanged UDP-glucose levels, relative to control cells. Further, the glycogen synthase activity state was closely correlated with Glu-6-P levels over a wide range of glucose concentrations in both G6Pase-overexpressing and control cells. The reduction in glycogen synthesis in AdCMV-G6Pase-treated hepatocytes is therefore not a function of decreased substrate availability but rather occurs because of the regulatory effects of Glu-6-P on glycogen synthase activity. We also found that AdCMV-G6Pase-treated-cells had significantly lower rates of lactate production and [3-3 H]glucose usage, coupled with enhanced rates of gluconeogenesis and Glu-6-P hydrolysis. We conclude that overexpression of the G6Pase catalytic subunit alone is sufficient to activate flux through the G6Pase system in liver cells. Further, hepatocytes treated with AdCMVG6Pase exhibit a metabolic profile resembling that of liver cells from patients or animals with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, suggesting that dysregulation of the catalytic subunit of G6Pase could contribute to the etiology of the disease.

In hepatocytes glucokinase (GK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc-6-Pase) 1 have converse effects on glucose 6-phosphate (and fructose 6-phosphate) levels. To establish whether hexose 6-phosphate regulates GK binding to its regulatory protein, we determined the effects of Glc-6-Pase overexpression on glucose metabolism and GK compartmentation. Glc-6-Pase overexpression (4-fold) decreased glucose 6-phosphate levels by 50% and inhibited glycogen synthesis and glycolysis with a greater negative control coefficient on glycogen synthesis than on glycolysis, but it did not affect the response coefficients of glycogen synthesis or glycolysis to glucose, and it did not increase the control coefficient of GK or cause dissociation of GK from its regulatory protein, indicating that in hepatocytes fructose 6-phosphate does not regulate GK translocation by feedback inhibition. GK overexpression increases glycolysis and glycogen synthesis with a greater control coefficient on glycogen synthesis than on glycolysis. On the basis of the similar relative control coefficients of GK and Glc-6-Pase on glycogen synthesis compared with glycolysis, and the lack of effect of Glc-6-Pase overexpression on GK translocation or the control coefficient of GK, it is concluded that the main regulatory function of Glc-6-Pase is to buffer the glucose 6-phosphate concentration. This is consistent with recent findings that hyperglycemia stimulates Glc-6-Pase gene transcription.

The discovery of uncoupling protein (UCP)-2, a ubiquitously expressed protein homologous to UCP-1, has raised the possibility that energy balance of cells might be regulated in tissues other than brown adipocytes. In normal pancreatic islets, UCP-2 is upregulated by leptin and is low in leptin-resistant islets of ZDF rats. To determine whether UCP-2 does, in fact, have uncoupling activity and, if so, whether such activity would favorably influence the abnormalities in leptin-unresponsive UCP-2-underexpressing islets of diabetic ZDF rats, we transferred the UCP-2 gene to the islets of diabetic ZDF rats and lean (+/+) ZDF control rats. Although ATP was reduced by 23% in both groups of islets, the ATP:ADP ratio increased by 42 and 141%, respectively. [3H]palmitate oxidation was increased by 50%, and [3H]glucose oxidation was 42-63% higher. Preproinsulin mRNA was 2.9-fold above control levels, and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, which was negligible in control ZDF rat islets, was improved in UCP-2-overexpressing islets. The high fat content of the islets was not reduced, however. We conclude that UCP-2 has uncoupling function when overexpressed in leptin-insensitive islets and that its overexpression corrects the underexpression of the insulin gene and ameliorates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, possibly by increasing the ATP:ADP ratio.

Glucose-6-phosphatase (Glu-6-Pase) catalyzes the terminal step of gluconeogenesis, the conversion of glucose 6-phosphate (Glu-6-P) to free glucose. This enzyme activity is thought to be conferred by a complex of proteins residing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), including a Glu-6-P translocase that transports Glu-6-P into the lumen of the ER, a phosphohydrolase catalytic subunit residing in the lumen, and putative glucose and inorganic phosphate transporters that allow exit of the products of the reaction. In this study, we have investigated the effect of adenovirus-mediated overexpression of the Glu-6-Pase catalytic subunit on glucose metabolism and insulin secretion, using a well differentiated insulinoma cell line, INS-1. We found that the overexpressed Glu-6-Pase catalytic subunit was normally glycosylated, correctly sorted to the ER, and caused a 10-fold increase in Glu-6-Pase enzymatic activity in in vitro assays. Consistent with these findings, a 4.2-fold increase in 3 H 2 O incorporation into glucose was observed in INS-1 cells treated with the recombinant adenovirus containing the Glu-6-Pase catalytic subunit cDNA (Ad-CMV-Glu-6-Pase). 3-[ 3 H]Glucose usage was decreased by 32% in AdCMV-Glu-6-Pase-treated cells relative to controls, resulting in a proportional 30% decrease in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Our findings indicate that overexpression of the Glu-6-Pase catalytic subunit significantly impacts glucose metabolism and insulin secretion in islet ␤-cells. However, INS-1 cells treated with AdCMV-Glu-6-Pase do not exhibit the severe alterations of ␤-cell function and metabolism associated with islets from rodent models of obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, suggesting the involvement of genes in addition to the catalytic subunit of Glu-6-Pase in the etiology of such ␤-cell dysfunction.Glucose-6-phosphatase (Glu-6-Pase) 1 catalyzes the terminal step in gluconeogenesis, the hydrolysis of glucose 6-phosphate (Glu-6-P) to free glucose. In liver, Glu-6-Pase plays an important role in regulating glucose disposal and storage in concert with the opposing actions of the glucose-phosphorylating enzyme glucokinase. Glucokinase is also an important regulator of glucose metabolism and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in ␤-cells of the islets of Langerhans (1, 2). The stimulation of insulin secretion by glucose is thought to be mediated by increases in the ATP:ADP ratio and closure of ATP-sensitive K ϩ channels (1, 3). Glu-6-Pase has also been reported to be expressed in the islets of Langerhans (4), but measurements of enzyme activity have yielded conflicting results (4, 5), and the extent to which the enzyme participates in regulation of glucose flux in normal islets remains unresolved. Measurement of glucose formation and utilization in islets from an obese and insulin-resistant strain of rodents (the ob/ob mouse) has revealed a dramatically increased rate of incorporation of 3 H 2 O into glucose in such islets relative to those from normal lean animals (6, 7). Glucose-stimulated ...