Pancreatic Islet Glycine Receptor Variants

Background: Insulin, the only blood-glucose lowering hormone in the body, is secreted from pancreatic β-cells and is regulated by neuronal, nutritional, and hormonal signals. Glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter but recent metabolic studies identify glycine as a potential biomarker of type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk. A strong correlation exists between plasma glycine concentrations and insulin sensitivity, glucose disposal, and obesity. Circulating plasma glycine concentrations are inversely related to T2D risk. The mechanism for glycine's action in diabetes is unknown.