Abstract.
ATP-dependent potassium (KATP) channels occupy a key position in the control of insulin release from the pancreatic β cell since they couple cell polarity to metabolism. These channels close when more ATP is produced via glucose metabolism. They are also controlled by sulfonylureas, a class of drugs used in type 2 diabetic patients for triggering insulin secretion from β cells that have lost part of their sensitivity to glucose. We have demonstrated the existence of endogenous counterparts to sulfonylureas which we have called ‘endosulfines.’ In this review, we describe the discovery, isolation, cloning, and biological features of the high-molecular-mass form, α-endosulfine, and discuss its possible role in the physiology of the β cell as well as in pathology.
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Received 1 February 1999; received after revision 26 March 1999; accepted 26 March 1999
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Bataille, D., Héron, L., Virsolvy, A. et al. α-Endosulfine, a new entity in the control of insulin secretion. CMLS, Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 56, 78–84 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s000180050008
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s000180050008