Pancreatic β-Cell-to-β-Cell Interactions Are Required for Integrated Responses to Nutrient Stimuli: Enhanced Ca~2+ and Insulin Secretory Responses of MIN6 Pseudoislets

摘要

The effect of cell-to-cell contact on Ca~2+ influx and secretory responses in the β-cell line MIN6 was studied using MIN6 pseudoislets, which are three-dimensional islet-like cell agregates that develop when MIN6 cells are cultured for 6-8 days on gelatin. The formation of pseudoislets is dependent on the Ca~2+ -dependent adhe- sion molecule E-cadherin (E-CAD), since the process can be inhibited by incubation in the absence of Ca~2+ or in the presence of an anti-E-CAD antibody.