Acute Regulation of Insulin and Glucagon Secretion by Neprilysin

Dr. Zraika's overall goal is to enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms for normal pancreatic islet function. The novel islet protein, neprilysin, has been implicated in modulating ion flux across membranes in non-islet tissues. Given the significant contribution of calcium and potassium flux to islet hormone secretion, pilot studies will be performed to determine whether neprilysin facilitates insulin and glucagon secretion by modulating ion flux across beta- and alpha-cell membranes. Should these studies provide evidence that neprilysin is required for normal islet function, interventions to up- or down-regulate neprilysin could prove beneficial in treating islet dysfunction in type 2 diabetes.