Subcellular glucose exposure biases the spatial distribution of insulin granules in single pancreatic beta cells.

ABSTRACT: In living tissues, a cell is exposed to chemical substances delivered partially to its surface. Such a heterogeneous chemical environment potentially induces cell polarity. To evaluate this effect, we developed a microfluidic device that realizes spatially confined delivery of chemical substances at subcellular resolution. Our microfluidic device allows simple setup and stable operation for over 4 h to deliver chemicals partially to a single cell. Using the device, we showed that subcellular glucose exposure triggers an intracellular [Ca(2+)] change in the β-cells. In addition, the imaging of a cell expressing GFP-tagged insulin showed that continuous subcellular exposure to glucose biased the spatial distribution of insulin granules toward the site where the glucose was delivered. Our app

SUBMITTER: Terao K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3927211 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature