title: A TRP channel contributes to insulin secretion by pancreatic β-cells.
abstract: The release of insulin by pancreatic beta cells involves a complex interplay of conductances that generate oscillations and drive secretion. A recent report identifies a new player in this process, the ion channel TRPM5. TRPM5 was originally identified in taste cells, where it forms a Ca(2+)-activated cation channel that is required for sensory responses to bitter and sweet tastes. New research now shows that TRPM5 is expressed within the pancreatic islets of Langerhans, where it regulates the frequency of Ca(2+) oscillations and contributes to insulin release by β-cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Liman@usc.edu
authors.forename: Emily R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Liman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D050053:TRPM Cation Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D050053:TRPM Cation Channels; C404409:TRPM5 protein, human; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels