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Related Concept Videos

Insulin Secretory Vesicles01:05

Insulin Secretory Vesicles

Insulin secretory vesicles release insulin to stimulate blood glucose uptake and regulate carbohydrate metabolism. When the blood glucose levels increase, glucose enters the pancreatic β-islet cells through glucose transporters. Once inside, glucose is metabolized through glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and the electron transport chain, producing ATP. This increase in ATP concentration closes ATP-sensitive potassium channels, leading to depolarization of the membrane and the opening of...
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling01:16

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
Overview of Secretory Vesicles01:33

Overview of Secretory Vesicles

Secretory vesicles, also known as dense core vesicles (DCVs), are membrane-bound vesicles that transport secretory proteins, such as hormones or neurotransmitters. Regulated secretory vesicles transport proteins from the trans-Golgi network to the exterior of the cell. Proteins present in regulated secretory vesicles are required to be rapidly exocytosed in large amounts upon a specific stimulus.
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane01:26

Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane

Proteins and neurotransmitters in secretory vesicles can be released from a cell upon vesicle docking, priming, and fusion with the plasma membrane. Vesicles are docked and primed in preparation for the quick exocytosis of their contents in response to a stimulus. The fusion process is mainly carried out by a SNAP Receptor or SNARE complex, consisting of synaptobrevin, syntaxin-1, and SNAP-25.
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Imaging Calcium Dynamics in Subpopulations of Mouse Pancreatic Islet Cells
08:03

Imaging Calcium Dynamics in Subpopulations of Mouse Pancreatic Islet Cells

Published on: November 26, 2019

Synaptotagmins bind calcium to release insulin.

Benoit R Gauthier1, Claes B Wollheim

  • 1Dept. of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University Medical Center, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland. benoit.gauthier@medecine.unige.ch

American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism
|August 21, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Synaptotagmin VII and IX are key proteins regulating insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells. These synaptotagmins act as calcium sensors, mediating the exocytosis of insulin-containing vesicles in response to glucose.

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Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Neuroscience

Background:

  • Insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells is critical for glucose homeostasis.
  • Exocytosis of insulin-containing large dense core vesicles (LDCVs) is regulated by calcium ions.
  • SNARE complexes mediate vesicle docking, but a calcium sensor is required for fusion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the physiological roles of synaptotagmin proteins in regulated exocytosis.
  • To elucidate the specific impact of synaptotagmins on insulin exocytosis.
  • To highlight the function of synaptotagmin VII and IX in glucose-induced insulin secretion.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on synaptotagmin function and insulin secretion.
  • Analysis of studies investigating synaptotagmin involvement in neuroendocrine and endocrine exocytosis.
  • Synthesis of evidence implicating specific synaptotagmin isoforms in beta-cell function.

Main Results:

  • The synaptotagmin gene family comprises 15 members, with proposed roles as calcium sensors in regulated exocytosis.
  • Synaptotagmins are involved in the calcium-dependent fusion of vesicles with the plasma membrane.
  • Evidence strongly supports synaptotagmin VII and IX as crucial mediators of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.

Conclusions:

  • Synaptotagmin VII and IX play essential roles in the process of insulin exocytosis.
  • These synaptotagmin isoforms function as calcium sensors that trigger insulin secretion in response to elevated glucose levels.
  • Understanding synaptotagmin function provides insights into the regulation of glucose homeostasis and potential therapeutic targets for diabetes.