Glucokinase as glucose sensor and metabolic signal generator in pancreatic beta-cells and hepatocytes.

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Matschinsky FM

Glucokinase as glucose sensor and metabolic signal generator in pancreatic beta-cells and hepatocytes.

Diabetes. 1990 Jun;39(6):647-52.

PubMed ID

2189759 [ View in PubMed

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Abstract

This article reviews evidence for a pivotal role of glucokinase as glucose sensor of the pancreatic beta-cells. Glucokinase explains the capacity, hexose specificity, affinities, sigmoidicity, and anomeric preference of pancreatic islet glycolysis, and because stimulation of glucose metabolism is a prerequisite of glucose stimulation of insulin release, glucokinase also explains many characteristics of this beta-cell function. Glucokinase of the beta-cell is induced or activated by glucose in contrast to liver glucokinase, which is regulated by insulin. Tissue-specific regulation corresponds with observations that liver and pancreatic beta-cell glucokinase are structurally distinct. Glucokinase could play a glucose-sensor role in hepatocytes as well, and certain forms of diabetes mellitus might be due to glucokinase deficiencies in pancreatic beta-cells, hepatocytes, or both.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drug Enzymes

Drug	Enzyme	Kind	Organism	Pharmacological Action	Actions
D-glucose	Glucokinase	Protein	Humans	No	Substrate	Details
Dextrose, unspecified form	Glucokinase	Protein	Humans	Unknown	Substrate Inducer	Details