The Cardiolipin Transacylase Tafazzin Regulates Basal Insulin Secretion and Mitochondrial Function in Pancreatic Islets from Mice

Objective: Tafazzin (TAZ) is a cardiolipin (CL) biosynthetic enzyme important for maintaining mitochondrial function. TAZ impacts both the species and content of CL in the inner mitochondrial membrane which are essential for normal cellular respiration. In pancreatic β-cells, mitochondrial function is closely associated with insulin secretion. However, the role of TAZ and CL in the secretion of insulin from pancreatic islets remains unknown. Methods: Male 4-month-old doxycycline-inducible TAZ knock-down (TAZ KD) mice and wild-type littermate controls were utilized. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess β-cell morphology in whole pancreas sections, while ex vivo insulin secretion, CL content, RNA-Seq analysis and mitochondrial oxygen consumption were measured from isolated islet preparations. Results: Ex vivo insulin secretion under non-stimulatory low-glucose concentrations was reduced ~52% from islets isolated from TAZ KD mice. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption under low-glucose conditions was also reduced ~58% in islets from TAZ KD animals. TAZ-deficiency in pancreatic islets was associated with significant alteration in CL molecular species and reduced oxidized CL content. In addition, RNA-Seq of isolated islets showed that TAZ KD increased expression of extracellular matrix genes which are linked to pancreatic fibrosis, activated stellate cells and impaired β-cell function. Conclusion: These data indicate a novel role for TAZ in regulating normal β-cell function, particularly under low-glucose conditions.