Article Addendum

In vivo functional heterogeneity among β-cells

Volume 2, Issue 2   March/April 2010
Pages 124 - 126
http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/isl.2.2.10945
Authors: Melis Karaca

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Abstract:
The concept of functional heterogeneity among β-cells proposes that each cell differs in its sensitivity to glucose and is recruited in a glucose-dependent manner into both biosynthetic and secretory active states in order to adapt insulin secretion to the metabolic environment. Therefore, characterization of β-cell populations with different metabolic sensitivities would lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies. Based on heterogeneous surface PSA-NCAM expression on β-cells, we have recently characterized two groups of cells, namely βhigh and βlow-cells, in rat. Differences in insulin secretory capacity and in gene expression profiles suggest that βlow-cells are immature and/or non-functional cells in contrast to highly glucose responsive fully functional βhigh-cells. Moreover, the relative distribution of βhigh and βlow-cells correlated with physiological and pathological states regarding the functional β-cell mass. Here we summarize our main results on βhigh and βlow-cell populations and discuss some of the open remaining questions.

Article Addendum to:
M Karaca, J Castel, C Tourrel-Cuzin, M Brun, A Géant, M Dubois, S Catesson, M Rodriguez, S Luquet, P Cattan, B Lockhart, J Lang, A Ktorza, C Magnan, C Kargar. Exploring functional beta-cell heterogeneity in vivo using PSA-NCAM as a specific marker. PLoS One 2009; 4: e5555
PMID: 19440374 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005555

Received: October 13, 2009; Accepted: December 15, 2009

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