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
PYGL glycolysis and other biosynthetic functions for energy metabolism. As the major isozyme in liver, PYGL is responsible for maintaining blood glucose homeostasis by regulating the release of glucose 1-phosphate from liver glycogen stores. One model suggests that Ca oscillations play a role in activating glycogen phosphorylase in glycogen degradation in liver cells. Through its function in the liver, PYGL is also central to meeting the glycemic demands of the entire body. Though other tissues may express all three forms in different proportions, the purpose of expressing multiple glycogen phosphorylases remains unclear. PYGL has been implicated in glycogen storage disease type