Expression and function of ATP-dependent potassium channels in zebrafish islet β-cells.

ABSTRACT: ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K_ATP channels) are critical nutrient sensors in many mammalian tissues. In the pancreas, K_ATP channels are essential for coupling glucose metabolism to insulin secretion. While orthologous genes for many components of metabolism-secretion coupling in mammals are present in lower vertebrates, their expression, functionality and ultimate impact on body glucose homeostasis are unclear. In this paper, we demonstrate that zebrafish islet β-cells express functional K_ATP channels of similar subunit composition, structure and metabolic sensitivity to their mammalian counterparts. We further show that pharmacological activation of native zebrafish K_ATP using diazoxide, a specific K_ATP channel opener, is suffici

SUBMITTER: Emfinger CH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5367309 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature