Andraž Stožer (Avtor), Marko Šterk (Avtor), Eva Paradiž (Avtor), Rene Markovič (Avtor), Maša Skelin (Avtor), Cara E. Ellis (Avtor), Lidija Križančić Bombek (Avtor), Jurij Dolenšek (Avtor), Patrick E. MacDonald (Avtor), Marko Gosak (Avtor)

Povzetek

Islets of Langerhans are multicellular microorgans located in the pancreas that play a central role in whole-body energy homeostasis. Through secretion of insulin and other hormones they regulate postprandial storage and interprandial usage of energy-rich nutrients. In these clusters of hormone-secreting endocrine cells, intricate cell-cell communication is essential for proper function. Electrical coupling between the insulin-secreting beta cells through gap junctions composed of connexin36 is particularly important, as it provides the required, most important, basis for coordinated responses of the beta cell population. The increasing evidence that gap-junctional communication and its modulation are vital to well-regulated secretion of insulin has stimulated immense interest in how subpopulations of heterogeneous beta cells are functionally arranged throughout the islets and how they mediate intercellular signals. In the last decade, several novel techniques have been proposed to assess cooperation between cells in islets, including the prosperous combination of multicellular imaging and network science. In the present contribution, we review recent advances related to the application of complex network approaches to uncover the functional connectivity patterns among cells within the islets. We first provide an accessible introduction to the basic principles of network theory, enumerating the measures characterizing the intercellular interactions and quantifying the functional integration and segregation of a multicellular system. Then we describe methodological approaches to construct functional beta cell networks, point out possible pitfalls, and specify the functional implications of beta cell network examinations. We continue by highlighting the recent findings obtained through advanced multicellular imaging techniques supported by network-based analyses, giving special emphasis to the current developments in both mouse and human islets, as well as outlining challenges offered by the multilayer network formalism in exploring the collective activity of islet cell populations. Finally, we emphasize that the combination of these imaging techniques and network-based analyses does not only represent an innovative concept that can be used to describe and interpret the physiology of islets, but also provides fertile ground for delineating normal from pathological function and for quantifying the changes in islet communication networks associated with the development of diabetes mellitus.

Ključne besede

pancreatic islets;beta cells;calcium imaging;intercellular communication;functional networks;multilayer networks;

Podatki

Jezik: Angleški jezik
Leto izida:
Tipologija: 1.02 - Pregledni znanstveni članek
Organizacija: UM MF - Medicinska fakulteta
UDK: 616.379
COBISS: 112192515 Povezava se bo odprla v novem oknu
ISSN: 1664-2392
Št. ogledov: 0
Št. prenosov: 0
Ocena: 0 (0 glasov)
Metapodatki: JSON JSON-RDF JSON-LD TURTLE N-TRIPLES XML RDFA MICRODATA DC-XML DC-RDF RDF

Ostali podatki

Sekundarni jezik: Slovenski jezik
Sekundarne ključne besede: otočki trebušne slinavke;beta celice;slikanje s kalcijem;medcelična komunikacija;funkcionalna omrežja;večplastna omrežja;
Vrsta dela (COBISS): Znanstveno delo
Strani: str. 1-28
Zvezek: ǂVol. ǂ13
Čas izdaje: Jun. 2022
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.922640
ID: 25541053