Structural and functional polarisation of human pancreatic beta cells in islets from organ donors with and without type 2 diabetes.

ABSTRACT:

Aims/hypothesis

We hypothesised that human beta cells are structurally and functional polarised with respect to the islet capillaries. We set out to test this using confocal microscopy to map the 3D spatial arrangement of key proteins and live-cell imaging to determine the distribution of insulin granule fusion around the cells.

Methods

Human pancreas samples were rapidly fixed and processed using the pancreatic slice technique, which maintains islet structure and architecture. Slices were stained using immunofluorescence for polarity markers (scribble, discs large [Dlg] and partitioning defective 3 homologue [Par3]) and presynaptic markers (liprin, Rab3-interacting protein [RIM2] and piccolo) and imaged using 3D confocal microscopy. Isolated human islets were dispersed and

SUBMITTER: Cottle L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7864831 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature