Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Surface Engineering of Pancreatic Islets with a Heparinized StarPEG Nanocoating
Published on: June 23, 2018
Important role of heparan sulfate in postnatal islet growth and insulin secretion
Iwao Takahashi1, Naoya Noguchi, Koji Nata
1Department of Advanced Biological Sciences for Regeneration, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
Abstract:
Heparan sulfate (HS) binds with several signaling molecules and regulates ligand-receptor interactions, playing an essential role in embryonic development. Here we showed that HS was intensively expressed in pancreatic islet beta-cells after 1 week of age in mice. The enzymatic removal of HS in isolated islets resulted in attenuated glucose-induced insulin secretion with a concomitant reduction in gene expression of several key components in the insulin secretion machinery. We further depleted islet HS by inactivating the exostosin tumor-like 3 gene specifically in beta-cells. These mice exhibited abnormal islet morphology with reduced beta-cell proliferation after 1 week of age and glucose intolerance due to defective insulin secretion. These results demonstrate that islet HS is involved in the regulation of postnatal islet maturation and required to ensure normal insulin secretion.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion
Insulin and C-peptide are co-secreted in...
Insulin Secretory Vesicles
Cells and Secretions of the Pancreas
Exocrine function is carried out by acinar cells, organized into clusters known as acini. These cells contribute to digestion by releasing substantial quantities of enzyme-rich, alkaline digestive juices.
Concurrently, the dispersed clusters of endocrine cells throughout the...
Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...
Insulin: Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Preparation
Damage or functional impairment of β-cells inhibits insulin production, leading to diabetes. Diabetes treatment primarily uses...
Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways

