Control of insulin gene expression in pancreatic beta-cells and in an insulin-producing cell line, RIN-5F cells. I. Effects of glucose and cyclic AMP on the transcription of insulin mRNA.

To define the mechanism whereby glucose regulates islet insulin mRNA content, insulin gene transcription rates were determined in islets labeled with [3H]uridine at low (3.3) or high (17 mM) glucose. Glucose stimulated the transcription of total RNA almost 2-fold and insulin mRNA 5.6-fold. Addition of dibutyryl cAMP to islets in vitro could partially mimic the effect of glucose on insulin gene-specific transcription. In the insulin-producing RIN-5F cell line, glucose did not affect transcription, while cholera toxin acted as a secretagogue and increased total RNA and insulin gene-specific transcription as well. We conclude that glucose exerts a specific stimulatory effect on the transcription of the insulin gene(s) in normal islets and that this effect may be mediated in part by cAMP.