Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Insulin Secretory Vesicles

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...

Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion

Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion

The pancreatic islets comprising only 1%-2% of the volume are highly vascularized and innervated mini-organs. They contain five endocrine cell types, including β cells that secrete insulin, which is synthesized as a single polypeptide chain, preproinsulin, processed to proinsulin, and finally to insulin and C-peptide. This process is complex and regulated, involving the Golgi complex, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the secretory granules of the β cell.
Insulin and C-peptide are co-secreted in...

Exocytosis

Exocytosis

Exocytosis is a process that releases molecules outside the cell. Like other bulk transport mechanisms, exocytosis requires energy.
Exocytosis is the opposite of endocytosis, which brings molecules inside the cell. Sometimes, the released materials are signaling molecules. For example, neurons typically use exocytosis to release neurotransmitters. Cells also use exocytosis to insert proteins such as ion channels into their cell membranes, secrete proteins for use in the extracellular matrix, or...

Exocytosis

Exocytosis

Exocytosis is used to release material from cells. Like other bulk transport mechanisms, exocytosis requires energy.

Cells and Secretions of the Pancreas

Cells and Secretions of the Pancreas

The pancreas, a vital organ within the abdominal cavity, plays dual roles in the digestive and endocrine systems, collaborating with exocrine and endocrine cells to maintain optimal digestion and blood sugar levels.
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...

Vesicular Trasport: Endocytosis, Transcytosis and Exocytosis

Vesicular Trasport: Endocytosis, Transcytosis and Exocytosis

Vesicular transport is a cellular process that encompasses the engulfment of particles or dissolved substances by cells. It involves endocytosis, transcytosis, and exocytosis.
Endocytosis is a cellular mechanism that involves the inward folding of the cell membrane to create vesicles that capture and transport large drug molecules. This process comprises two distinct methods: pinocytosis (often referred to as "cell drinking") and phagocytosis (often referred to as "cell eating"). Pinocytosis is...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Occupational radiation exposure of zoo veterinarians during x-ray procedures: a real-time dosimetry study.

Journal of occupational health·2025

Same author

<i>Helicobacter pylori</i> base-excision restriction enzyme in stomach carcinogenesis.

PNAS nexus·2025

Same author

Physician and Patient Preferences for the Treatment of Metastatic Castration-Sensitive and Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: A Best-Worst Scaling Study in Japan.

Oncology and therapy·2025

Same author

Prefrontal synaptic regulation of homeostatic sleep pressure revealed through synaptic chemogenetics.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2024

Same author

Renoprotective Effects of Daprodustat in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and Renal Anemia.

International journal of molecular sciences·2024

Same author

Large-scale animal model study uncovers altered brain pH and lactate levels as a transdiagnostic endophenotype of neuropsychiatric disorders involving cognitive impairment.

eLife·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Analysis of Beta-cell Function Using Single-cell Resolution Calcium Imaging in Zebrafish Islets

Analysis of Beta-cell Function Using Single-cell Resolution Calcium Imaging in Zebrafish Islets

Published on: July 3, 2018

Exocytosis in islet beta-cells.

Haruo Kasai¹, Hiroyasu Hatakeyama, Mitsuyo Ohno

¹Laboratory of Structural Physiology, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. hkasai@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

|March 11, 2010

Summary

Live optical imaging of beta-cells reveals insights into insulin secretion. Two-photon imaging visualizes large dense-core vesicle exocytosis, uncovering glucose-induced secretion phases and microvesicle release.

More Related Videos

Confocal Imaging of Neuropeptide Y-pHluorin: A Technique to Visualize Insulin Granule Exocytosis in Intact Murine and Human Islets

Confocal Imaging of Neuropeptide Y-pHluorin: A Technique to Visualize Insulin Granule Exocytosis in Intact Murine and Human Islets

Published on: September 13, 2017

A High-content In Vitro Pancreatic Islet β-cell Replication Discovery Platform

A High-content In Vitro Pancreatic Islet β-cell Replication Discovery Platform

Published on: July 16, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Analysis of Beta-cell Function Using Single-cell Resolution Calcium Imaging in Zebrafish Islets

Analysis of Beta-cell Function Using Single-cell Resolution Calcium Imaging in Zebrafish Islets

Published on: July 3, 2018

Confocal Imaging of Neuropeptide Y-pHluorin: A Technique to Visualize Insulin Granule Exocytosis in Intact Murine and Human Islets

Confocal Imaging of Neuropeptide Y-pHluorin: A Technique to Visualize Insulin Granule Exocytosis in Intact Murine and Human Islets

Published on: September 13, 2017

A High-content In Vitro Pancreatic Islet β-cell Replication Discovery Platform

A High-content In Vitro Pancreatic Islet β-cell Replication Discovery Platform

Published on: July 16, 2016

Area of Science:

Endocrinology
Cell Biology
Neuroscience

Background:

Insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells is crucial for glucose homeostasis.
Understanding the dynamics of exocytosis is key to understanding insulin release.
Limitations exist in current electrophysiological techniques for studying beta-cell exocytosis.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce optical imaging techniques for characterizing exocytosis in beta-cells.
To highlight advancements in visualizing insulin secretion dynamics.
To provide a foundation for researchers studying beta-cell function.

Main Methods:

Utilizing two-photon imaging for live optical visualization of exocytosis.
Observing the exocytosis of large dense-core vesicles (LDCVs) and synaptic-like microvesicles (SLMVs).
Studying exocytosis in intact islets of Langerhans.

Main Results:

High glucose levels trigger biphasic insulin secretion.
Insulin release is dependent on cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) and cyclic AMP (cAMP).
Discovery of massive SLMV exocytosis in beta-cells, distinct from LDCV release.

Conclusions:

Live optical imaging, particularly two-photon microscopy, significantly enhances the study of insulin secretion.
This technology reveals complex exocytosis patterns, including SLMV release, not easily observed with other methods.
Optical imaging provides a powerful tool for detailed characterization of beta-cell exocytosis.