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...

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

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,...

Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways

Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways

Insulin action is mediated through a receptor tyrosine kinase, akin to the IGF-1 receptor. The number of receptors per cell varies significantly, from 40 on erythrocytes to 300,000 on adipocytes and hepatocytes. The insulin receptor consists of linked α/β subunit dimers, forming a heterotetramer glycoprotein with two extracellular α subunits and two β subunits spanning the membrane. The α subunits inhibit the inherent tyrosine kinase activity of the β subunits, but this inhibition is released...

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration

Calcium is an essential signaling molecule required for various cellular functions. Calcium pumps and ion channels on cell and organellar membranes, such as those on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), regulate calcium concentrations inside the cell. They remain closed, keeping the cytosolic calcium levels low at a resting state.
Various transmembrane receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), elicit a response to extracellular signals by increasing cytosolic calcium. Activated GPCRs...

GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity

GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity

Some GPCRs transmit signals through adenylyl cyclase (AC), a transmembrane enzyme. AC helps synthesize second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). AC catalyzes cyclization reaction and converts ATP to cAMP by releasing a pyrophosphate. The pyrophosphate is further hydrolyzed to phosphate by the enzyme pyrophosphatase, which drives cAMP synthesis to completion. However, cAMP is rapidly degraded to 5′ AMP by the enzymes phosphodiesterase (PDE), preventing overstimulation of cells.
Two...

cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways

cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways

Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) is an essential second messenger that activates protein kinase A (PKA) and regulates various biological processes. A single epinephrine molecule binds to GPCR and activates several heterotrimeric G proteins, each stimulating multiple adenylyl cyclase, amplifying the signal, and synthesizing large numbers of cAMP molecules. Small changes in cAMP concentration affect PKA activity. The binding of four cAMP molecules induces a conformational change in PKA,...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Timing-dependent anti-inflammatory effects of empagliflozin in monocyte-derived macrophages from post-myocardial infarct patients with type 2 diabetes.

Cardiovascular diabetology·2026

Same author

A Novel Role of Hyaluronan and Its Membrane Receptors, CD44 and RHAMM, in Obesity-Related Kidney Pathology.

Biomolecules·2025

Same author

The Impact of Antioxidant Adjuncts on Periodontal Health in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Meta-Analysis.

Clinical and experimental dental research·2025

Same author

Research recommendations from the 2024 Breakthrough T1D, Diabetes UK and Kidney Research UK, diabetes and kidney disease expert workshop.

Diabetic medicine : a journal of the British Diabetic Association·2025

Same author

A special issue on from bench to bedside: An integrated and multidisciplinary approach to tackling diabetic kidney disease.

Diabetic medicine : a journal of the British Diabetic Association·2024

Same author

Connexin-43 hemichannels orchestrate NOD-like receptor protein-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation and sterile inflammation in tubular injury.

Cell communication and signaling : CCS·2023

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

Imaging Calcium Dynamics in Subpopulations of Mouse Pancreatic Islet Cells

Imaging Calcium Dynamics in Subpopulations of Mouse Pancreatic Islet Cells

Published on: November 26, 2019

Calcium-sensing receptor activation increases cell-cell adhesion and β-cell function.

Claire E Hills¹, Mustafa Y G Younis, Jeanette Bennett

¹Schools of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.

Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry : International Journal of Experimental Cellular Physiology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacology

|July 27, 2012

Summary

Activation of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) in pancreatic beta-cells enhances cell-to-cell communication and insulin secretion. CaR activation increases E-cadherin, improving cell tethering and calcium signaling for better secretory function.

More Related Videos

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 Laser Scanning Microscopy of Calcium Dynamics in Acute Mouse Pancreatic Tissue Slices

Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy of Calcium Dynamics in Acute Mouse Pancreatic Tissue Slices

Published on: April 13, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Imaging Calcium Dynamics in Subpopulations of Mouse Pancreatic Islet Cells

Imaging Calcium Dynamics in Subpopulations of Mouse Pancreatic Islet Cells

Published on: November 26, 2019

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 Laser Scanning Microscopy of Calcium Dynamics in Acute Mouse Pancreatic Tissue Slices

Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy of Calcium Dynamics in Acute Mouse Pancreatic Tissue Slices

Published on: April 13, 2021

Area of Science:

Endocrinology
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) is present in pancreatic beta-cells.
CaR is believed to mediate cell-to-cell communication and enhance insulin secretion.
The precise mechanisms by which CaR activation improves beta-cell function remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how CaR activation influences pancreatic beta-cell function.
To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying CaR-mediated improvements in beta-cell communication and secretion.

Main Methods:

Utilized immunocytochemistry and western blotting to confirm CaR expression in MIN6 beta-cell lines.
Employed the calcimimetic R568 to specifically activate CaR at physiological calcium concentrations.
Assessed cell proliferation using BrdU incorporation and cytosolic calcium changes via fura-2 microfluorimetry.
Measured E-cadherin expression and functional cell tethering using AFM-single-cell-force spectroscopy.

Main Results:

CaR activation for 48 hours significantly increased E-cadherin expression (206±41%) and L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCC) expression (70%).
Observed a 30% enhancement in cell-cell tethering and elevated basal-to-peak amplitude of ATP- and tolbutamide-evoked cytosolic calcium.
CaR activation also promoted beta-cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner with PD98059 and SU1498.

Conclusions:

CaR activation enhances functional tethering between beta-cells via E-cadherin.
Increased L-type VDCC expression and potentiated secretagogue-evoked calcium signaling contribute to improved beta-cell function.
Findings suggest a paracrine mechanism where co-released calcium activates CaR on neighboring cells, ensuring efficient insulin secretion.