Mitochondria-insulin granule crosstalk controls the early stages of granule maturation

Abstract

Insulin secretion from pancreatic {beta}-cells is a tightly controlled process where hormone synthesis, granule formation and release are regulated in order to maintain whole body glucose homeostasis. Failure to produce or release insulin results in hyperglycemia that may develop into diabetes. Insulin-containing granules exist in different pools that have different propensity for release, yet what determined the fate of a granule after initial formation is not clear. In this study we aimed to identify key steps in the early life of an insulin granule that directs it towards release. Using two different methods for time-dependent labeling, we found that insulin granules shortly after budding from the trans-Golgi network associate with mitochondria. This organelle interaction involves the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) and the vesicular nucleotide transporter (VNUT). Reduced VNUT expression prevented the recruitment of VDAC to insulin granules and redirected granules towards autophagy-dependent lysosomal degradation, resulting in reduced insulin content and impaired insulin secretion. These results show the requirement of granule-mitochondria crosstalk for normal progression through the early stages of the secretory pathway.