Screening for the Gly40Ser mutation in the glucagon receptor gene among patients with type 2 diabetes or essential hypertension in Taiwan

As a major counterregulatory hormone of insulin, glucagon plays an importan t role in regulating glucose homeostasis through its binding to the glucago n receptor. Recently a missense mutation in the glucagon-receptor gene (Gly 40Ser) was found to be associated with type 2 diabetes in France and Sardin ia, with a frequency as high as 4.6% and 8.3%, respectively. This mutation was also found to be associated with essential hypertension in the white po pulation with a frequency of 5.4%. To investigate the role of this mutation in the patho genesis of type 2 diabetes and essential hypertension in Taiw anese population, we screened 121 normal controls, 213 unrelated subjects w ith type 2 diabetes, and 107 unrelated subjects with essential hypertension by use of polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphi sm (PCR-RFLP). None of the Taiwanese subjects recruited in the study had th is receptor mutation. Our results demonstrate a strong genetic heterogeneit y among the ethnic group and suggest that the Gly40Ser mutation of the gluc agon receptor gene plays little role, if any, in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and essential hypertension in the Taiwanese population.