{
  "abstract": "Interrupting glucagon signaling decreases gluconeogenesis and the fractional extraction of amino acids by liver from blood, resulting in lower glycemia. The resulting hyperaminoacidemia stimulates α cell proliferation and glucagon secretion via a liver/α cell axis. We hypothesized that α cells detect and respond to circulating amino acids' levels via a unique amino acid transporter repertoire. We found that Slc7a2/SLC7A2 is the most highly expressed cationic amino acid transporter in α cells, with its expression being 3-fold greater in α than β cells in both mouse and human. Employing cell culture, zebrafish, and knockout mouse models, we found that the cationic amino acid arginine and SLC7A2 are required for α cell proliferation in response to interrupted glucagon signaling. Ex vivo and in vivo assessment of islet function in Slc7a2-/- mice showed decreased arginine-stimulated glucagon and insulin secretion. We found that arginine activation of mTOR signaling and induction of the glutamine transporter SLC38A5 was dependent on SLC7A2, showing that the role of both in α cell proliferation is dependent on arginine transport and SLC7A2. Finally, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in SLC7A2 associated with HbA1c. Together, these data indicate a central role for SLC7A2 in amino acid-stimulated α cell proliferation and islet hormone secretion.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Biology, Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA",
    "Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA",
    "Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA",
    "Diabetes and Complications, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA",
    "Center for Mucosal Inflammation & Cancer; and",
    "Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology;",
    "Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Medicine;",
    "Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA",
    "Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA",
    "Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 22,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Erick Spears",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3345-1724"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jade E. Stanley",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2741-8437"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Matthew Shou",
      "orcid": "0009-0005-8088-7581"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Linlin Yin",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6159-1639"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Xuan Li",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6319-3020"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Chunhua Dai",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6302-7126"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "AMBER BRADLEY"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Katelyn Sellick"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Greg Poffenberger",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7363-4683"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Katie Colbert Coate",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6604-3906"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Shristi Shrestha",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4519-1712"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Anna Marie R Schornack",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8991-3882"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Taverlyn Shepard"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Madushika M. Wimalarathne",
      "orcid": "0009-0006-4292-1731"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Regina Jenkins"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Kyle W. Sloop",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6748-9929"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        5,
        6,
        7,
        8
      ],
      "name": "Keith T. Wilson",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4421-1830"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Alan Attie",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0568-2261"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Mark P. Keller",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7405-5552"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Wenbiao Chen",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0750-8275"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        1,
        8
      ],
      "name": "Alvin C. Powers",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1941-5786"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        1
      ],
      "name": "E. Danielle Dean",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7157-5683"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0jedzpz34mf2z.bib",
  "cited_by": 12,
  "doi": "10.1172/jci173913",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "0jedzpz34mf2z",
  "issns": [
    "0021-9738",
    "1558-8238"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1172/jci173913",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2712|Pancreatic function and diabetes"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2746|Pancreatic function and diabetes"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7164759936",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC10461917",
  "pmid": "37645716",
  "published": "2026-06-14",
  "publisher": "American Society for Clinical Investigation",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0jedzpz34mf2z.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-04T13:21:15Z",
      "native_id": "W7164759936",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1172/jci173913"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2712|Pancreatic function and diabetes",
      "subfield": "endocrinology-metabolism"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2746|Pancreatic function and diabetes",
      "subfield": "surgery"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Pancreatic islet α cell function and proliferation require the arginine transporter SLC7A2",
  "title_text": "Pancreatic islet α cell function and proliferation require the arginine transporter SLC7A2",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T13:21:16Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0jedzpz34mf2z",
  "venue": "Journal of Clinical Investigation",
  "versions": []
}