Dimensionality and size scaling of coordinated Ca(2+) dynamics in MIN6 β-cell clusters.

ABSTRACT: Pancreatic islets of Langerhans regulate blood glucose homeostasis by the secretion of the hormone insulin. Like many neuroendocrine cells, the coupling between insulin-secreting β-cells in the islet is critical for the dynamics of hormone secretion. We have examined how this coupling architecture regulates the electrical dynamics that underlie insulin secretion by utilizing a microwell-based aggregation method to generate clusters of a β-cell line with defined sizes and dimensions. We measured the dynamics of free-calcium activity ([Ca(2+)]i) and insulin secretion and compared these measurements with a percolating network model. We observed that the coupling dimension was critical for regulating [Ca(2+)]i dynamics and insulin secretion. Three-dimensional coupling led to size-invariant sup

SUBMITTER: Hraha TH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3907241 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature