PUBLICATION

Leader β-cells coordinate Ca2+ dynamics across pancreatic islets in vivo

Authors
Salem, V., Silva, L.D., Suba, K., Georgiadou, E., Neda Mousavy Gharavy, S., Akhtar, N., Martin-Alonso, A., Gaboriau, D.C.A., Rothery, S.M., Stylianides, T., Carrat, G., Pullen, T.J., Singh, S.P., Hodson, D.J., Leclerc, I., Shapiro, A.M.J., Marchetti, P., Briant, L.J.B., Distaso, W., Ninov, N., Rutter, G.A.
ID
ZDB-PUB-200724-7
Date
2019
Source
Nature metabolism   1: 615-629 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Akhtar, Nadeem, Ninov, Nikolay, Singh, Sumeet Pal
Keywords
none
Datasets
GEO:GSE123662
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Calcium/metabolism*
  • Glucose/metabolism
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Insulin/metabolism
  • Insulin-Secreting Cells/metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Zebrafish/metabolism
PubMed
32694805 Full text @ Nat Metab
Abstract
Pancreatic β-cells form highly connected networks within isolated islets. Whether this behaviour pertains to the situation in vivo, after innervation and during continuous perfusion with blood, is unclear. In the present study, we used the recombinant Ca2+ sensor GCaMP6 to assess glucose-regulated connectivity in living zebrafish Danio rerio, and in murine or human islets transplanted into the anterior eye chamber. In each setting, Ca2+ waves emanated from temporally defined leader β-cells, and three-dimensional connectivity across the islet increased with glucose stimulation. Photoablation of zebrafish leader cells disrupted pan-islet signalling, identifying these as likely pacemakers. Correspondingly, in engrafted mouse islets, connectivity was sustained during prolonged glucose exposure, and super-connected 'hub' cells were identified. Granger causality analysis revealed a controlling role for temporally defined leaders, and transcriptomic analyses revealed a discrete hub cell fingerprint. We thus define a population of regulatory β-cells within coordinated islet networks in vivo. This population may drive Ca2+ dynamics and pulsatile insulin secretion.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping