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Updated: Dec 8, 2025

High-resolution Respirometry to Measure Mitochondrial Function of Intact Beta Cells in the Presence of Natural Compounds
Published on: January 23, 2018
Control by Ca2+ of mitochondrial structure and function in pancreatic β-cells
Eleni Georgiadou1, Guy A Rutter1
1Section of Cell Biology and Functional Genomics, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
None:
Mitochondria play a central role in glucose metabolism and the stimulation of insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. In this review, we discuss firstly the regulation and roles of mitochondrial Ca2+ transport in glucose-regulated insulin secretion, and the molecular machinery involved. Next, we discuss the evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction in β-cells is associated with type 2 diabetes, from a genetic, functional and structural point of view, and then the possibility that these changes may in part be mediated by dysregulation of cytosolic Ca2+. Finally, we review the importance of preserved mitochondrial structure and dynamics for mitochondrial gene expression and their possible relevance to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.
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