Glucagon

Glucagon is a 29-amino acid peptide hormone with a central role in blood glucose regulation. Acting as a counter-regulatory hormone to insulin, it triggers glycogen breakdown and glucose production in the liver via cAMP-mediated pathways. Widely used in clinical practice to reverse hypoglycemia and in research for studying metabolic pathways, glucagon remains a vital tool in diabetes management, hepatic function studies, and pharmacological development. It is temperature-sensitive, requiring cold storage and careful handling to maintain bioactivity.

• Formula: C₁₅₃H₂₂₅N₄₃O₄₉S
• Formula Molecular Weight: 3485.0

Glucagon is produced by the alpha cells of the pancreas. It increases blood glucose levels, mainly by stimulating the breakdown of glycogen to glucose (glycogenolysis) and the production of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources (gluconeogenesis). It acts antagonistically to insulin.

Glucagon binds to the glucagon receptor (a G-protein-coupled receptor) primarily on liver cells. Upon binding, it activates adenylate cyclase, which increases intracellular cAMP. cAMP activates protein kinase A (PKA) that stimulates glycogen phosphorylase and promotes glycogen breakdown. Glucagon simultaneously inhibits glycogen synthase and promotes gluconeogenic enzymes. All these result in elevated blood glucose levels.

• Endocrinology: Glucose metabolism, diabetes, insulin-glucagon dynamics.
• Metabolic disease models: Hypoglycemia studies, glycogen storage diseases.
• Receptor studies: GPCR signal transduction pathways.
• Pharmacology: Development of glucagon analogs and antagonists.
• Liver metabolism: Role in hepatic glucose output, lipid metabolism.

• Lyophilized powder: Store at –20°C