Christian de Duve glucagon was the major hormone influencing the breakdown of glycogen (glycogenolysis) in the liver, by which more sugars are produced in the blood. De Duve's original hypothesis that glucagon was produced by pancreatic alpha cells was proved right when it was demonstrated that selectively cobalt-damage alpha cells stopped producing glucagon in guinea pigs, and finally isolated the purified hormone in 1953, including those from birds. De Duve was the first to hypothesise that production of insulin to decrease blood sugar level stimulated the uptake of glucose in the liver, and that there is a balanced production of insulin and glucagon
Glycogenin-1 Glycogenin-1 Glycogenin-1 is an enzyme that is involved in the biosynthesis of glycogen. This enzyme is important for the function of self-glucosylated to form an oligosaccharide primer that serves as substrate for glycogen synthase. This is done through an inter-subunit mechanism. It also plays a role in glycogen metabolism regulation and in the maximal glycogen levels attaintment in skeletal muscle. Recombinant human glycogenin-1 was expressed in "E. coli" and purified by using conventional chromatography techniques. Glycogen is a multi branched polysaccharide. It is the way all the animal cells have to store glucose. In the human body, the two main