Molecular Biology of Salivary Insulin and Glucagon

史密斯博士计划以大鼠为动物模型，研究胰腺产生的胰岛素和高血糖素与唾液腺产生的胰岛素和高血糖素之间的同源性。这些激素对新陈代谢和食物利用的调节很重要。胰腺胰岛素分泌不足会导致糖尿病。史密斯有证据表明，这两个腺体产生的多肽在多肽结构和调节生产的基因方面是相同的。然而，胰多肽被分泌到血液中并起到激素的作用，而唾液腺多肽被分泌到胃肠道，没有已知的功能。史密斯希望能够确定在不同年龄或发育阶段以及在包括糖尿病状态在内的各种荷尔蒙条件下，与胰腺多肽相比，调节唾液腺多肽产生、加工和分泌的机制。显然，唾液腺肽是在糖尿病状态下产生的，这表明两个腺体之间的基因表达调控存在一些差异，这可能有助于更好地了解胰岛素和胰升糖素产生的激素和遗传调节，以及基因或细胞转移以缓解糖尿病状态的可能机制。

Dr. Smith plans to study the homology between the insulin and glucagon produced by the pancreas and the insulin and glucagon produced by salivary glands using the rat as an animal model. These hormones are important in the regulation of metabolism and food stuff utilization. A deficiency of pancreactic insulin production results in diabetes. Smith has evidence that the peptides produced by the two glands are identical in terms of peptides structure and the genes that regulate production. However, the pancreatic peptides are secreted into the blood and act as hormones, whereas the salivary gland peptides are secreted into the gastrointestinal tract and have no known function. Smith hopes to be able to determine mechanisms regulating production, processing and secretion of the salivary gland peptides as compared to the pancreatic peptides in rats of varying ages or stages of development and under various hormonal conditions including the diabetic state. Apparently, the salivary gland peptides are produced in the diabetic state indicating some differences in the regulation of gene expression between the two glands that might lead to a better understanding of the hormonal and genetic regulation of insulin and glucagon production and to possible mechanisms for gene or cell transfer to relieve the diabetic state.