Abstract

The second messenger cAMP exerts powerful stimulatory effects on Ca(2+) signaling and insulin secretion in pancreatic beta-cells. Previous studies of beta-cells focused on protein kinase A (PKA) as a downstream effector of cAMP action. However, it is now apparent that cAMP also exerts its effects by binding to cAMP-regulated guanine nucleotide exchange factors (Epac). Although one effector of Epac is the Ras-related G protein Rap1, it is not fully understood what the functional consequences of Epac-mediated signal transduction are at the cellular level. 8-(4-chloro-phenylthio)-2'-O-methyladenosine-3'-5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP) is a newly described cAMP analog, and it activates Epac but not PKA. Here we demonstrate that 8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP acts in human pancreatic beta-cells and INS-1 insulin-secreting cells to mobilize Ca(2+) from intracellular Ca(2+) stores via Epac-mediated Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR). The cAMP-dependent increase of [Ca(2+)](i) that accompanies CICR is shown to be coupled to exocytosis. We propose that the interaction of cAMP and Epac to trigger CICR explains, at least in part, the blood glucose-lowering properties of an insulinotropic hormone (glucagon-like peptide-1, also known as GLP-1) now under investigation for use in the treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus.