Sustained simultaneous glycolytic and insulin oscillations in β-cells

Abstract

Chemical oscillation in glycolysis induced by glucose is an universal feature in all living cells. In β-cells this is accompanied by sustained oscillations of concentration of insulin, which helps to keep the blood glucose level within optimum limits. Experiments [Chou et al., 1992. Am. J. Physiol. 262, E800-E805] in this regard had shown that the glycolytic and insulin oscillations are almost consistently in phase and their time periods are very close to each other at both high and low initial concentration of glucose. Experiments [Dano et al., 1999. Nature 402, 320-322] have also demonstrated the dynamical transition between the states of glycolytic oscillations indicating a saturation behaviour of glucose transporters at a higher glucose flow rate. We propose a phenomenological model to understand these simultaneous oscillations and how glycolysis provides a mechanism for pulsatory insulin secretion in the light of these basic experimental issues.