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Related Concept Videos

Insulin Secretory Vesicles01:05

Insulin Secretory Vesicles

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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...
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Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion01:27

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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.
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Overview of Secretory Vesicles01:33

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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.
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Insulin: Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Preparation01:25

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The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of pancreatic β-cells synthesizes preproinsulin, which consists of a signal peptide, A and B chains, and a C-peptide. Preproinsulin is then cleaved and folded into proinsulin, which translocates to the Golgi apparatus for sorting and packaging into secretory granules. In these granules, enzymatic clipping generates insulin and C-peptide.
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Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways01:28

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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...
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Cells and Secretions of the Pancreas01:16

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 22, 2025

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

Mark Germanos1, Andy Gao1, Matthew Taper1

  • 1School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney 2006, Australia.

Metabolites
|August 26, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Pancreatic beta cells produce insulin within secretory granules (SGs). This study maps SG formation, crucial for insulin production and glucose control, especially in type 2 diabetes.

Keywords:
graningranuleinsulinislet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP)pancreatic β-cellsecretory pathwaytrans-Golgi network (TGN)

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Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Endocrinology
  • Metabolism

Background:

  • Pancreatic beta cells synthesize and store insulin in secretory granules (SGs).
  • Insulin secretion from SGs regulates blood glucose levels.
  • Dysfunctional beta cells and impaired insulin secretion are hallmarks of type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the early biogenesis of insulin secretory granules (SGs) from the luminal perspective.
  • To identify key molecular players and processes involved in SG formation and maturation.
  • To understand how SG biogenesis impacts insulin production and secretion.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized advanced imaging techniques to visualize SG formation in real-time.
  • Employed proteomic analysis to identify proteins within developing SGs.
  • Tracked the journey of individual SG components from synthesis to granule maturation.

Main Results:

  • Detailed the coordinated synthesis and trafficking of proinsulin and SG proteins.
  • Identified the trans-Golgi network as the critical site for SG initiation.
  • Demonstrated the specific conditions within SGs that promote proinsulin processing and insulin storage.

Conclusions:

  • The formation and maturation of insulin SGs are tightly regulated processes essential for maintaining glucose homeostasis.
  • Understanding SG biogenesis offers potential therapeutic targets for type 2 diabetes.
  • This work provides a detailed luminal view of insulin SG genesis.