New perspectives on pancreatic islet glucokinase

Control of blood sugar involves the complex interaction of the pancreatic glucose-sensing beta-cells with the liver, which serves as the primary site of glucose disposal after a meal. Glucokinase occupies an important role in controlling glucose phosphorylation and metabolism both in the liver and in pancreatic islets. In the beta-cells, glucokinase functions as pacemaker of glycolysis at physiological glucose levels. It determines the unique characteristics of islet hexose usage, that is, the rate, affinity, cooperativity, and anomeric discrimination of glucose metabolism. Because glycolysis controls hexose-induced insulin release, glucokinase is considered the best-qualified candidate for the elusive glucose sensor of beta-cells. A deficiency of glucokinase would disturb glucose homeostasis. Decreased islet glucokinase would diminish islet glycolysis and would result in a higher set point of beta-cells for glucose-induced insulin release. Decreased liver glucokinase would cause less efficient hepatic glucose disposal. Human maturity-onset diabetes (type II diabetes) has these characteristics. It is thus conceivable that certain forms of type II diabetes are due to a glucokinase deficiency.