Glucose signalling to Transcription factors of the Insulin gene

Abstract

In the adult, insulin is expressed exclusively in the pancreatic $β$-cells. This hormone is essential to the control of mammalian glucose homeostasis and it is influenced by nutrients and hormonal factors. Although considerable progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms that confer tissue-specificity and metabolic responsiveness on insulin gene expression, we are only beginning to comprehend the complexities involved. In $β$-cells, glucose is the primary physiological regulator of insulin secretion and biosynthesis. This chapter will focus on the transcriptional control of the insulin gene by glucose, and on the transcription factors mediating this effect.