Coordinated regulation by Shp2 tyrosine phosphatase of signaling events controlling insulin biosynthesis in pancreatic β-cells

Intracellular signaling by which pancreatic β-cells synthesize and secrete insulin in control of glucose homeostasis is not fully understood. Here we show that Shp2, a cytoplasmic tyrosine phosphatase possessing 2 SH2 domains, coordinates signaling events required for insulin biosynthesis in β-cells. Mice with conditional ablation of the Shp2/Ptpn11 gene in the pancreas exhibited defective glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and impaired glucose tolerance. Consistently, siRNA-mediated Shp2-knockdown in rat insulinoma INS-1 832/13 cells resulted in decreased insulin production and secretion despite an increase in cellular ATP. Shp2 modulates the strength of signals flowing through Akt/FoxO1 and Erk pathways, culminating in control of Pdx1 expression and activity on Ins1 and Ins2 promoters, and forced Pdx1 expression rescued insulin production in Shp2-knockdown β-cells. Therefore, Shp2 acts as a signal coordinator in β-cells, orchestrating multiple pathways controlling insulin biosynthesis to maintain glucose homeostasis.