title: Signal transduction via TRPM3 channels in pancreatic β-cells.
abstract: Transient receptor potential melastatin 3 (TRPM3) channels are non-selective cation channels that are expressed in insulinoma cells and pancreatic β-cells. Stimulation of TRPM3 with the neurosteroid pregnenolone sulfate induces an intracellular signaling cascade, involving a rise in intracellular Ca(2)(+) concentration, activation of the protein kinases Raf and ERK, and a change in the gene expression pattern of the cells. In particular, biosynthesis of insulin is altered following activation of TRPM3 by pregnenolone sulfate. Moreover, a direct effect of TRPM3 stimulation on insulin secretion has been reported. The fact that stimulation of TRPM3 induces a signaling cascade that is very similar to the signaling cascade induced by glucose in β-cells suggests that TRPM3 may influence main functions of pancreatic β-cells. The view that TRPM3 represents an ionotropic steroid receptor of pancreatic β-cells linking insulin release with steroid hormone signaling is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Saarland Medical Center, Building 44, D-66421 Homburg, Germany. gerald.thiel@uks.eu
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Oliver G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Rössler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D050053:TRPM Cation Channels / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D050053:TRPM Cation Channels; C475667:TRPM3 protein, human; D002118:Calcium