G12/13-mediated signaling stimulates hepatic glucose production and has a major impact on whole body glucose homeostasis

Abstract

Altered hepatic glucose fluxes are critical during the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. G protein-coupled receptors represent important regulators of hepatic glucose production. Recent studies have shown that hepatocytes express GPCRs that can couple to G_12/13, a subfamily of heterotrimeric G proteins that has attracted relatively little attention in the past. Here we show, by analyzing several mutant mouse strains, that selective activation of hepatocyte G_12/13 signaling leads to pronounced hyperglycemia and that this effect involves the stimulation of the ROCK1-JNK signaling cascade. Using both mouse and human hepatocytes, we also show that activation of endogenous sphingosine-1-phosphate type 1 receptors strongly promotes glucose release in a G_12/13-dependent fashion. Studies with human liver samples indicate that hepatic GNA12 (encoding Gα₁₂) expression levels positively correlate with indices of insulin resistance and impaired glucose homeostasis, consistent with a potential pathophysiological role of enhanced hepatic G_12/13 signaling.

Altered hepatic glucose fluxes play a key role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Here, Pittala et al. show that activation of G12/13 signaling in hepatocytes enhances hepatic glucose production, leading to greatly increased blood glucose levels.