SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Translational control”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

PubMed1994

Translational control mediates the developmental regulation of the Trypanosoma brucei Nrk protein kinase.

The expression and function of eukaryotic protein kinases is highly regulated, primarily through transcriptional and post-translational processes. In this report we demonstrate an unusual mechanism for controlling protein kinase function, translational control. The Trypanosoma brucei Nrk loci encode predicted protein kinases. Here we show that Nrk has protein serine-threonine kinase activity and examine the expression and activity of Nrk during parasite development. While Nrk transcripts were previously found to be constitutively expressed throughout the life cycle, we now find that expression of Nrk protein is highly stage-regulated. Immunoblot analysis revealed that Nrk expression dramatically increased as the parasites differentiated from proliferative slender bloodforms to the non-proliferative stumpy bloodforms. Procyclic form organisms expressed moderate levels of Nrk. Analysis of Nrk activity demonstrated that it too was highest in stumpy bloodforms. Metabolic labeling and pulse-chase analysis demonstrated that Nrk accumulation was highest in stumpy bloodforms and indicated that Nrk abundance is primarily controlled at the level of biosynthesis rather than turnover. All Nrk mRNA was contained in the poly(A)+ fraction, and the 5' ends of the transcript were the same in each developmental stage. Thus, Nrk is under translational control. The strict developmental regulation of the Nrk enzymes within the trypanosome life cycle suggests that the Nrk protein kinase may play a role in parasite differentiation.

Animals↗

PubMed1980

Translational control of protein synthesis in response to heat shock in D. melanogaster cells.

In response to elevated temperature, Drosophila cells synthesize a small set of proteins known as the heat-shock proteins, while synthesis of most other proteins ceases. In vitro translation has been used to demonstrate that the messenger RNAs encoding the normal (25 degrees) spectrum of proteins are not broken down or irreversibly inactivated in response to the temperature change. During the heat shock only the heat-shock mRNAs plus a small number of preexisting mRNAs are translated, while most other messages are stored and can be reactivated upon return of the cells to their normal temperature. After recovery from heat shock, cells translate both the normal mRNA and the remaining heat-shock mRNA. The translational control operating in intact cells has been reproduced in cell-free translation systems directed by purified mRNA from normal and heat-shocked cells. Lysates prepared from heat-shocked Drosophila cells preferentially translated the heat-shock messages, while the lysate made from normally growing Drosophila cells indiscriminately translated both normal and heat-shock messages. Therefore there must be stable alterations in the translational components of heat-shocked cells which are capable of causing selective translation of the heat-shock messages. In addition there must be information encoded in the heat-shock messages that allows their selection.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Diabetes mellitus and exocrine pancreatic dysfunction in perk-/- mice reveals a role for translational control in secretory cell survival.

The protein kinase PERK couples protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to polypeptide biosynthesis by phosphorylating the alpha subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2alpha), attenuating translation initiation in response to ER stress. PERK is highly expressed in mouse pancreas, an organ active in protein secretion. Under physiological conditions, PERK was partially activated, accounting for much of the phosphorylated eIF2alpha in the pancreas. The exocrine and endocrine pancreas developed normally in Perk-/- mice. Postnatally, ER distention and activation of the ER stress transducer IRE1alpha accompanied increased cell death and led to progressive diabetes mellitus and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. These findings suggest a special role for translational control in protecting secretory cells from ER stress.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Mammalian eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha kinases functionally substitute for GCN2 protein kinase in the GCN4 translational control mechanism of yeast.

Phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2 alpha) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the GCN2 protein kinase stimulates the translation of GCN4 mRNA. The protein kinases heme-regulated inhibitor of translation (HRI) and double-stranded RNA-dependent eIF-2 alpha protein kinase (dsRNA-PK) inhibit initiation of translation in mammalian cells by phosphorylating Ser-51 of eIF-2 alpha. We show that HRI and dsRNA-PK phosphorylate yeast eIF-2 alpha in vitro and in vivo and functionally substitute for GCN2 protein to stimulate GCN4 translation in yeast. In addition, high-level expression of either mammalian kinase in yeast decreases the growth rate, a finding analogous to the inhibition of total protein synthesis by these kinases in mammalian cells. Phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha inhibits initiation in mammalian cells by sequestering eIF-2B, the factor required for exchange of GTP for GDP on eIF-2. Mutations in the GCN3 gene, encoding a subunit of the yeast eIF-2B complex, eliminate the effects of HRI and dsRNA-PK on global and GCN4-specific translation in yeast. These results provide further in vivo evidence that phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha inhibits translation by impairing eIF-2B function and identify GCN3 as a regulatory subunit of eIF-2B. These results also suggest that GCN4 translational control will be a good model system to study how mammalian eIF-2 alpha kinases are modulated by environmental signals and viral regulatory factors.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

Translational control by protein kinase in Artemia salina and wheat germ.

The catalytic subunit of cyclic 3':5'-AMP-dependent protein kinase (ATP:protein phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.37) inhibits translation in Artemia salina and wheat germ extracts. It acts, as in reticulocyte lysates [Datta, A., de Haro, C., Sierra, J. M. & Ochoa, S. (1977) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74, 1463-1467] by catalyzing the conversion of a proinhibitor to an inhibitor of polypeptide chain initiation. Addition of ATP and either cyclic AMP or catalytic subunit promotes the proinhibitor-inhibitor conversion in crude proinhibitor preparations from A. salina embryos. The effect of cyclic AMP is due to stimulation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, present in such preparations, and is inhibited by hemin. In similar preparations from wheat germ, addition of ATP and catalytic subunit promoted proinhibitor-inhibitor conversion, but addition of ATP and cyclic AMP has little or no effect. As assayed with histone as substrate, wheat germ preparations exhibit a protein kinase activity that is not stimulated by the addition of cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP. Our results suggest that a translational control system, similar to that existing in rabbit reticulocytes and other mammalian cells, is present in organisms evolutionarily far removed from mammals.

Animals↗

PubMed1981

Transcriptional and translational control of cytoplasmic proteins after serum stimulation of quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells.

The synthesis of cytoplasmic proteins from quiescent and serum-stimulated Swiss 3T3 cells was compared by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Four new proteins of Mrs 26,000, 28,000, 45,000, and 47,000 designated N26, N28, N45, and N47, which were not detectable in quiescent cells, appeared 60 min after addition of serum. During the same period, the amount of [35S]methionine incorporated into 10 proteins present in quiescent cells, ranging in Mr from 23,000 to 98,000 and designated Q23-98, increased up to 6-fold, whereas the amount incorporated into three other proteins decreased by a factor of approximately 2. Of the new proteins, N26 was no longer detectable, and the amount of [35S]methionine incorporated into N47 was significantly reduced by 150 min. During this same time, a fifth new protein, N56, appeared, and there was a large increase in the amount of radioactivity incorporated into another protein, Q121. The increases in nine of the proteins were either strongly or completely inhibited by actinomycin D, arguing that the expression of these proteins was under transcriptional control. In contrast, the increases in seven other proteins were unaffected by actinomycin D, suggesting that their expression was under translational control. These proteins will serve as useful markers for determining how cells progress through early lag phase.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

On the translational control of ornithine decarboxylase expression by polyamines.

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, EC 4.1.1.17) expression is subject to negative feedback regulation by the polyamines. The results of previous studies favor either translational or post-translational regulation. To facilitate further analysis of the mechanism by which polyamines affect ODC expression we have used a cell line (L1210-DFMOr) that overproduces ODC. This cell line was isolated by selection for resistance to the antiproliferative effect of the ODC inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO). These cells respond similarly to polyamine depletion and repletion as do their wild-type counterparts. When L1210-DFMOr cells were grown in the presence of 20 mM DFMO (i.e., when their polyamine content was reduced to an extent that still permitted a normal growth rate) ODC represented 4-5% of the soluble protein synthesized. After transfer of the cells to a medium lacking DFMO (i.e., when their polyamine pools were repleted), the rate of incorporation of [35S]methionine into ODC was one order of magnitude lower. Since this difference in incorporation of radioactivity into ODC remained the same irrespective of the pulse-label time used (between 2 and 20 min) it is likely to represent a true difference in ODC synthesis rate. Consequently, the pulse-label experiments cannot be explained by rapid degradation of the enzyme during the labeling period. The difference in ODC synthesis rate was not accompanied by a corresponding difference in the steady-state level of ODC mRNA. Analyses of the distribution of ODC mRNA in polysome profiles did not demonstrate any major difference between cells grown in the absence or presence of DFMO, even though the ODC synthesis rate differed by as much as 10-fold. However, the distribution of the ODC mRNA in the polysome profiles indicated that the message was poorly translated. Thus, most of the ODC mRNA was present in fractions containing ribosomal subunits or monosomes. Inhibition of elongation by cycloheximide treatment resulted in a shift of the ODC mRNA from the region of the gradient containing ribosomal subunits to that containing mono- and polysomes, indicating that most of the ODC mRNA was accessible to translation. Taken together these data lend support to a translational control mechanism which involves both initiation and elongation.

Eflornithine↗

PubMed2001

The relationship between translational control and mRNA degradation for the Escherichia coli threonyl-tRNA synthetase gene.

Expression of thrS, the gene encoding Escherichia coli threonyl-tRNA synthetase, is negatively autoregulated at the translational level. Regulation is due to the binding of threonyl-tRNA synthetase to its own mRNA at a site called the operator, located immediately upstream of the initiation codon. The present work investigates the relationship between regulation and mRNA degradation. We show that two regulatory mutations, which increase thrS expression, cause an increase in the steady-state mRNA concentration. Unexpectedly, however, the half-life of thrS mRNA in the derepressed mutants is equal to that of the wild-type, indicating that mRNA stability is independent of the repression level. All our results can be explained if one assumes that thrS mRNA is either fully translated or immediately degraded. The immediately degraded RNAs are never detected due to their extremely short half-lives, while the fully translated messengers share the same half-lives, irrespective of the mutations. The increase in the steady-state level of thrS mRNA in the derepressed mutants is simply explained by an increase in the population of translated molecules, i.e. those never bound by the repressor, ThrRS. Despite this peculiarity, thrS mRNA degradation seems to follow the classical degradation pathway. Its stability is increased in a strain defective for RNase E, indicating that an endonucleolytic cleavage by this enzyme is the rate-limiting process in degradation. We also observe an accumulation of small fragments corresponding to the 5' end of the message in a strain defective for polynucleotide phosphorylase, indicating that, following the endonucleolytic cleavages, fragments are normally degraded by 3' to 5' exonucleolytic trimming. Although mRNA degradation was suspected to increase the efficiency of translational control based on several considerations, our results indicate that inhibition of mRNA degradation has no effect on the level of repression by ThrRS.

Endoribonucleases↗

PubMed2002

Translational control of the embryonic cell cycle.

The synthesis and destruction of cyclin B drives mitosis in eukaryotic cells. Cell cycle progression is also regulated at the level of cyclin B translation. In cycling extracts from Xenopus embryos, progression into M phase requires the polyadenylation-induced translation of cyclin B1 mRNA. Polyadenylation is mediated by the phosphorylation of CPEB by Aurora, a kinase whose activity oscillates with the cell cycle. Exit from M phase seems to require deadenylation and subsequent translational silencing of cyclin B1 mRNA by Maskin, a CPEB and eIF4E binding factor, whose expression is cell cycle regulated. These observations suggest that regulated cyclin B1 mRNA translation is essential for the embryonic cell cycle. Mammalian cells also display a cell cycle-dependent cytoplasmic polyadenylation, suggesting that translational control by polyadenylation might be a general feature of mitosis in animal cells.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Abrogation of upstream open reading frame-mediated translational control of a plant S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase results in polyamine disruption and growth perturbations.

S-Adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) is a key enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis. We show that the plant AdoMetDC activity is subject to post-transcriptional control by polyamines. A highly conserved small upstream open reading frame (uORF) in the AdoMetDC mRNA 5' leader is responsible for translational repression of a downstream beta-glucuronidase reporter cistron in transgenic tobacco plants. Elimination of the small uORF from an AdoMetDC cDNA led to increased relative translational efficiency of the AdoMetDC proenzyme in transgenic plants. The resulting increased activity of AdoMetDC caused disruption to polyamine levels with depletion of putrescine, reduction of spermine levels, and a more than 400-fold increase in the level of decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine. These changes were associated with severe growth and developmental defects. The high level of decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine was not associated with any change in 5'-methylcytosine content in genomic DNA and S-adenosylmethionine levels were more or less normal, indicating a highly efficient system for maintenance of S-adenosylmethionine levels in plants. This work demonstrates that uORF-mediated translational control of AdoMetDC is essential for polyamine homeostasis and for normal growth and development.

Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase↗

PubMed1998

rRNA complementarity within mRNAs: a possible basis for mRNA-ribosome interactions and translational control.

Our recent demonstration that many eukaryotic mRNAs contain sequences complementary to rRNA led to the hypothesis that these sequences might mediate specific interactions between mRNAs and ribosomes and thereby affect translation. In the present experiments, the ability of complementary sequences to bind to rRNA was investigated by using photochemical cross-linking. RNA probes with perfect complementarity to 18S or 28S rRNA were shown to cross-link specifically to the corresponding rRNA within intact ribosomal subunits. Similar results were obtained by using probes based on natural mRNA sequences with varying degrees of complementarity to the 18S rRNA. RNase H cleavage localized four such probes to complementary regions of the 18S rRNA. The effects of complementarity on translation were assessed by using the mRNA encoding ribosomal protein S15. This mRNA contains a sequence within its coding region that is complementary to the 18S rRNA at 20 of 22 nucleotides. RNA from an S15-luciferase fusion construct was translated in a cell-free lysate and compared with the translation of four related constructs that were mutated to decrease complementarity to the 18S rRNA. These mutations did not alter the amino acid sequence or the codon bias. A correlation between complementarity and translation was observed; constructs with less complementarity increased the amount of translation up to 54%. These findings raised the possibility that direct base-pairing of particular mRNAs to rRNAs within ribosomes may function as a mechanism of translational control.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1981

Evidence that the phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha by the hemin-controlled translational repressor occurs at a single site.

We have investigated whether the phosphorylation of the Mr = 35,000 subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2 alpha) by the hemin-controlled translational repressor (HCR), which appears to mediate the regulation of protein synthesis by hemin in rabbit reticulocytes, occurs at a single or multiple sites. Following phosphorylation of highly purified ribosomal or soluble eIF-2 with [gamma-32P]ATP and highly purified HCR, eIF-2 alpha was isolated by elution from a 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel, subjected to trypsin digestion, and analyzed on 20% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. By 9 h of digestion none of the original, Mr = 35,000 subunit remained, and after 24 h the 32P radioactivity was distributed in multiple polypeptides in the range of Mr = 4,000 to 8,000. After 4 days of trypsinization, however, all of these peptides were reduced to a low level except for a minor band with Mr = 4,500, and a Mr = 1,500 component became the predominant 32P-labeled product. After 6 days of trypsin digestion the minor Mr = 4,500 component was much less but still detectable, and the Mr = 1,500 component represented 85% (ribosomal eIF-2 alpha) and 90% (soluble eIF-2 alpha) of the total radioactivity. The Mr = 1,500 component, when eluted fro 20% gels, showed a single spot when fingerprinted on thin layer cellulose sheets that was identical whether derived from ribosomal or soluble eIF-2 alpha. These findings suggest that HCR phosphorylates eIF-2 alpha at one specific site, although we cannot exclude the possibility that a second, minor site may also become phosphorylated to a very limited degree.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Translational control by an upstream open reading frame in the HER-2/neu transcript.

Overexpression of the HER-2 (neu, erbB-2) receptor results in cellular transformation and is associated with a variety of human cancers. Multiple mechanisms, including gene amplification and transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and translational controls contribute to the regulation of HER-2 expression. One of the components of these regulatory mechanisms is a short upstream open reading frame (uORF) in the HER-2 mRNA that represses downstream translation in a variety of cell types. Here we explore the mechanism by which this uORF exerts its inhibitory effect. As judged by comparisons of protein and mRNA abundance and by polysomal distribution analyses, the uORF represses translation of the HER-2 cistron or of a heterologous reporter gene. Despite its conservation among mammalian species, the peptide sequence of the uORF is not required for this inhibitory effect. Rather, the majority of ribosomes that load on the HER-2 mRNA most likely translate the uORF and are then unable to reinitiate at the downstream AUG codon, in part due to the short intercistronic spacing. A minority of ribosomes gain access to the HER-2 initiation codon either by leaky scanning past the upstream AUG codon or by reinitiating after having translated the uORF despite the short intercistronic region. These results suggest that the HER-2 uORF controls synthesis of this oncoprotein by limiting ribosomal access to downstream initiation sites.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Effect of antibody to the hemin-controlled translational repressor in rabbit reticulocyte lysate.

We have examined the effect of the purified IgG from the serum of guinea pigs immunized with a highly purified preparation of rabbit reticulocyte, hemin-controlled translational repressor (HCR) on protein synthesis in the reticulocyte lysate. We have found that the anti-HCR (but not non-immune) IgG completely prevents or reverses the suppression of protein synthesis that occurs in hemin-deficient lysate, providing a direct and definitive demonstration that the inhibitory effect of hemin-deficiency is mediated solely by the activation of HCR. The anti-HCR IgG also prevents or reverses the phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha and the reduced binding of Met-tRNAf to 40 S ribosomal subunits that accompanies the inhibition of protein synthesis in hemin-deficient lysate. In contrast, the anti-HCR IgG has no effect on the inhibition produced by low levels of double-stranded RNA (that is due to the activation of a separate protein kinase), but it does partly reverse inhibition due to oxidized glutathione, ethanol, and phosphatidylserine, indicating that the effect of these components is mediated, at least in part, by the activation of HCR. Finally, we have confirmed our earlier observation that an excess of proHCR, the inactive precursor of HCR, has little effect on the neutralization of HCR by limiting anti-HCR IgG, suggesting that the antigenic determinants on HCR are not exposed on ProHCR.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

The zipper model of translational control: a small upstream ORF is the switch that controls structural remodeling of an mRNA leader.

Transport of the essential amino acids arginine and lysine is critical for the survival of mammalian cells. The adaptive response to nutritional stress involves increased translation of the arginine/lysine transporter (cat-1) mRNA via an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) within the mRNA leader. Induction of cat-1 IRES activity requires both translation of a small upstream open reading frame (uORF) within the IRES and phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2alpha. We show here that translation of the upstream ORF unfolds an inhibitory structure in the mRNA leader, eliciting a conformational change that yields an active IRES. The IRES, whose activity is induced by amino acid starvation, is created by RNA-RNA interactions between the 5' end of the leader and downstream sequences. This study suggests that the structure of the IRES is dynamic and regulation of this RNA structure is a mechanism of translational control.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

PubMed2004

Translational control of beta2-adrenergic receptor mRNA by T-cell-restricted intracellular antigen-related protein.

Cellular expression of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (beta(2)-AR) is suppressed at the translational level by 3'-untranslated region (UTR) sequences. To test the possible role of 3'-UTR-binding proteins in translational suppression of beta(2)-AR mRNA, we expressed the full-length 3'-UTR or the adenylate/uridylate-rich (A+U-rich element (ARE)) RNA from the 3'-UTR sequences of beta(2)-AR in cell lines that endogenously express this receptor. Reversal of beta(2)-adrenergic receptor translational repression by retroviral expression of 3'-UTR sequences suggested that ARE RNA-binding proteins are involved in translational suppression of beta(2)-adrenergic receptor expression. Using a 20-nucleotide ARE RNA from the receptor 3'-UTR as an affinity ligand, we purified the proteins that bind to these sequences. T-cell-restricted intracellular antigen-related protein (TIAR) was one of the strongly bound proteins identified by this method. UV-catalyzed cross-linking experiments using in vitro transcribed 3'-UTR RNA and glutathione S-transferase-TIAR demonstrated multiple binding sites for this protein on beta(2)-AR 3'-UTR sequences. The distal 340-nucleotide region of the 3'-UTR was identified as a target RNA motif for TIAR binding by both RNA gel shift analysis and immunoprecipitation experiments. Overexpression of TIAR resulted in suppression of receptor protein synthesis and a significant shift in endogenously expressed beta(2)-AR mRNA toward low molecular weight fractions in sucrose gradient polysome fractionation. Taken together, our results provide the first evidence for translational control of beta(2)-AR mRNA by TIAR.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

PubMed1996

Role of an upstream open reading frame in mediating arginine-specific translational control in Neurospora crassa.

The Neurospora crassa arg-2 transcript contains an upstream open reading frame (uORF) specifying a 24-residue leader peptide and is subject to a novel form of negative translational regulation in response to arginine. The role of the arg-2 uORF in arginine-specific negative regulation was investigated by using translational fusions of wild-type and mutant arg-2 sequences to the Escherichia coli lacZ reporter gene specifying beta-galactosidase. The wild-type uORF conferred Arg-specific regulation on the reporter gene in N. crassa, but mutated or truncated uORFs did not, as determined by measurements of beta-galactosidase activity produced in N. crassa strains expressing arg-2-lacZ fusion genes. All effects on reporter gene expression were posttranscriptional, as determined by measurement of RNA levels. Both sequence-dependent and sequence-independent effects of uORFs were observed. Genes containing the wild-type uORF or a 21-codon mutated uORF showed reduced translation in comparison with that of a gene lacking a uORF. Both uORF-containing transcripts showed reduced association with polysomes relative to transcripts lacking a uORF, but only the transcript with the wild-type uORF showed a reduced average number of ribosomes associated with it in response to arginine addition. Direct translational fusions between uORF sequences and lacZ sequences indicated that the uORF is translated. Overlapping the uORF with the lacZ initiation codon indicated that ribosome reinitiation at a downstream start codon is not integral to uORF-mediated, Arg-specific translational regulation. These studies provide direct biochemical evidence for arg-2 uORF function in translational control.

Arginine↗

PubMed1996

Glucose-regulated translational control of proinsulin biosynthesis with that of the proinsulin endopeptidases PC2 and PC3 in the insulin-producing MIN6 cell line.

In the short term (< 2 h), proinsulin biosynthesis is predominately glucose regulated at the translational level; however, the details at the molecular level behind this mechanism are not well defined. One of the major hindrances for gaining a better understanding of the proinsulin biosynthetic mechanism has been a lack of an abundant source of beta-cells that express a phenotype of regulated proinsulin biosynthesis in the appropriate 2.8-16.7 mmol/l glucose range as defined in normal pancreatic islets. In this study, we demonstrate that in the MIN6 cell line, specific glucose-regulated translational control of proinsulin biosynthesis is present in the appropriate glucose concentration range. In addition to that of proinsulin, the biosynthesis of the two proinsulin conversion endopeptidases, PC2 and PC3, was coordinately glucose regulated in MIN6 cells, whereas that of the exopeptidase, carboxypeptidase H, was unaffected by glucose. Proinsulin, PC2 and PC3 biosynthesis was specifically stimulated over that of total MIN6 cell protein synthesis above a threshold of 4 mmol/l glucose that reached a maximum rate between 8 and 10 mmol/l glucose. Glucose-induced proinsulin, PC2, and PC3 biosynthesis was rapid (occurring after a 20-min lag period but reaching a maximum by 60 min), unaffected by the presence of actinomycin D; and in parallel experiments, stimulatory glucose concentrations did not alter MIN6 cell total preproinsulin, PC2, or PC3 mRNA levels. Thus, short-term (< 2 h) glucose stimulation of proinsulin, PC2 and PC3 biosynthesis in MIN6 cells, like that in isolated islets, was mediated at the translational level. Intracellular signals for mediating glucose-stimulated proinsulin PC2 and PC3 biosynthesis translation in MIN6 cells also appeared to be similar to those in pancreatic islets, requiring glucose metabolism and a supporting role for protein kinase A. However, protein kinase C or a Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase did not appear to be required for glucose-regulated proinsulin biosynthesis in MIN6 cells, as in islets. MIN6 cells are the first beta-cell line that indicate glucose-regulated proinsulin biosynthesis translation essentially identical to that in differentiated islet beta-cells and will be an important experimental model to better define the mechanism of proinsulin biosynthesis in detail.

Animals↗