title: Novel players in pancreatic islet signaling: from membrane receptors to nuclear channels.
abstract: Glucose and other nutrients regulate many aspects of pancreatic islet physiology. This includes not only insulin release, but also insulin synthesis and storage and other aspects of beta-cell biology, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, and gene expression. This implies that in addition to the well-described signals for insulin release, other intracellular signaling mechanisms are needed. Here we describe the role of global and local Ca(2+) signals in insulin release, the regulation of these signals by new membrane receptors, and the generation of nuclear Ca(2+) signals involved in gene expression. An integrated view of these pathways should improve the present description of the beta-cell biology and provide new targets for novel drugs.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioengineering, Miguel Hernandez University, Alicante, Spain. bernat.soria@umh.es
authors.forename: Bernat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Soria
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Quesada
authors.forename: Ana B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Ropero
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pertusa
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nadal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology*; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D005947:Glucose