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Transcriptomic profiling of pancreatic alpha, beta and delta cell populations identifies delta cells as a principal target for ghrelin in mouse islets
Open accessAbstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Intra-islet and gut-islet crosstalk are critical in orchestrating basal and postprandial metabolism. The aim of this study was to identify regulatory proteins and receptors underlying somatostatin secretion though the use of transcriptomic comparison of purified murine alpha, beta and delta cells. METHODS: Sst-Cre mice crossed with fluorescent reporters were used to identify delta cells, while Glu-Venus (with Venus reported under the control of the Glu [also known as Gcg] promoter) mice were used to identify alpha and beta cells. Alpha, beta and delta cells were purified using flow cytometry and analysed by RNA sequencing. The role of the ghrelin receptor was validated by imaging delta cell calcium concentrations using islets with delta cell restricted expression of the calcium reporter GCaMP3, and in perfused mouse pancreases. RESULTS: A database was constructed of all genes expressed in alpha, beta and delta cells. The gene encoding the ghrelin receptor, Ghsr, was highlighted as being highly expressed and enriched in delta cells. Activation of the ghrelin receptor raised cytosolic calcium levels in primary pancreatic delta cells and enhanced somatostatin secretion in perfused pancreases, correlating with a decrease in insulin and glucagon release. The inhibition of insulin secretion by ghrelin was prevented by somatostatin receptor antagonism. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Our transcriptomic database of genes expressed in the principal islet cell populations will facilitate rational drug design to target specific islet cell types. The present study indicates that ghrelin acts specifically on delta cells within pancreatic islets to elicit somatostatin secretion, which in turn inhibits insulin and glucagon release. This highlights a potential role for ghrelin in the control of glucose metabolism.
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![Fig. 2 Confirmation of Ghsr expression and GHSR activity in delta cells. (a–c) Log2 of FPKM values for GPCRs expressed by each cell type were plotted against each other: (a) alpha vs beta cells; (b) alpha vs delta cells; and (c) beta vs delta cells. A threshold of twofold differential expression was set. Three of the most highly enriched and expressed GPCRs for each cell type are indicated on the graphs. (d, e) Histograms showing the relative expression of Ghsr in pancreatic alpha, beta and delta cells (d) and Ghrl in the whole stomach, small intestine and islets (e). Expression was analysed by qPCR and compared with that of Actb in the same sample. Data are presented as the geometric mean, with error bars (SEM) calculated from log2 data. Each column represents the average expression from three separate samples. Two to five mice were pooled for each sample in (d) and one mouse was used for each sample in (e). Significance comparisons were calculated by one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc comparison; *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001. (f, g) Pancreatic islets from Sst-Cre/Rosa26 tdRFP/GCaMP3 mice were dispersed and cultured on glass-bottom dishes and imaged 24–48 h after plating. Delta cells were excited with 488/8 nm, and the GCaMP3 fluorescence (488 fluorescence units [FU]) was recorded. Cells were perfused with either 100 nmol/l hexarelin or 30 mmol/l KCl, as indicated. Representative responses of two delta cells monitored in parallel in the same dish are shown in black and grey (f). Mean changes in GCaMP3 in cells from seven mice are shown in a histogram (g), with the number of responding cells out of the total number of cells imaged for each condition shown above each bar. Data represent the mean ± SEM of the number of responding cells. Significance above baseline was calculated using a single Student’s t test; ***p < 0.001. (h) A whole pancreas was perfused with 3.5 mmol/l glucose and treated with 10 nmol/l ghrelin and 10 mmol/l arginine, as indicated, and SST concentrations were measured every minute](/paper-figures/8b039b06ee3b4b6da35e3975ba14537b/transcriptomic-profiling-of-pancreatic-alpha-beta-and-delta-cell-populations-figure-2.jpg)


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“Both mouse (3, 146) and human (68, 475) β-cells express Hcn/HCN2-4.”
From Pancreatic β-Cell Electrical Activity and Insulin Secretion: Of Mice and Men (2018) · cites this paper as [3]
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“which is expressed in mouse β-cells(3, 146).”
From Pancreatic β-Cell Electrical Activity and Insulin Secretion: Of Mice and Men (2018) · cites this paper as [3]
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“However, these are only expressed at low levels in mouse and human β-cells alike (3, 68, 146, 475).”
From Pancreatic β-Cell Electrical Activity and Insulin Secretion: Of Mice and Men (2018) · cites this paper as [3]
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“Both human and mouse β-cells also express Slc6a17/SLC6a17 (3, 68, 146, 475) that encodes a synaptic vesicle glycine transporter (502).”
From Pancreatic β-Cell Electrical Activity and Insulin Secretion: Of Mice and Men (2018) · cites this paper as [3]
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“In human β-cells, only SYN1 is expressed, whereas mouse β-cells express both Syn1 and Syn2 (3, 68, 146, 475).”
From Pancreatic β-Cell Electrical Activity and Insulin Secretion: Of Mice and Men (2018) · cites this paper as [3]
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In the citing paper
“These are both expressed at low levels in mouse and human β-cells (3, 68, 146, 475).”
From Pancreatic β-Cell Electrical Activity and Insulin Secretion: Of Mice and Men (2018) · cites this paper as [3]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe check wasn’t confident either way, so it gives no verdict — never disputed.
In the citing paper
“Mouse and human β-cells express CAPS1 (Cadps/CADPS) and low amounts of CAPS2 (Cadps2/CADPS2) (3, 68, 146, 475).”
From Pancreatic β-Cell Electrical Activity and Insulin Secretion: Of Mice and Men (2018) · cites this paper as [3]
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Citations
Cites
Ghrelin is a growth-hormone-releasing acylated peptide from stomach
Kojima, M., Hosoda, H., Date, Y., Nakazato, M., Matsuo, H., & Kangawa, K. (1999) · Nature · doi:10.1038/45230 · Cited by 8,479
Ghrelin induces adiposity in rodents
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The tissue distribution of the mRNA of ghrelin and subtypes of its receptor, GHS-R, in humans.
Gnanapavan, S., Kola, B., Bustin, S., Morris, D., McGee, P. J., Fairclough, P., Bhattacharya, S., Carpenter, R., Grossman, A., & Korbonits, M. (2002) · Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism · doi:10.1210/jcem.87.6.8739 · Cited by 1,507
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Müller, T. D., Nogueiras, R., Andermann, M. L., Andrews, Z. B., Anker, S. D., Argente, J., Batterham, R. L., Benoit, S. C., Bowers, C. Y., Broglio, F., et al. (2015) · Molecular Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.molmet.2015.03.005 · Cited by 1,034
Glucose Sensing in L Cells: A Primary Cell Study
Reimann, F., Habib, A. M., Tolhurst, G., Parker, H. E., Rogers, G. J., & Gribble, F. M. (2008) · Cell Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2008.11.002 · Cited by 733
Self-citationBroglio, F., Arvat, E., Benso, A. S., Gottero, C., Muccioli, G., Papotti, M. G., van der Lely, A. J., Deghenghi, R., & Ghigo, E. (2001) · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1210/jcem.86.10.8098 · Cited by 720
Glucagonocentric restructuring of diabetes: A pathophysiologic and therapeutic makeover
Unger, R. H., & Cherrington, A. D. (2012) · Journal of Clinical Investigation · doi:10.1172/jci60016 · Cited by 670
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Pancreatic β-Cell Electrical Activity and Insulin Secretion: Of Mice and Men
Rorsman, P., & Ashcroft, F. M. (2018) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.00008.2017 · Cited by 793
Function and mechanisms of enteroendocrine cells and gut hormones in metabolism
Gribble, F. M., & Reimann, F. (2019) · Nature Reviews Endocrinology · doi:10.1038/s41574-019-0168-8 · Cited by 670
Self-citationInsulin Secretion Depends on Intra-islet Glucagon Signaling
Svendsen, B., Larsen, O., Gabe, M. B. N., Christiansen, C. B., ROSENKILDE, M. M., Drucker, D. J., & Holst, J. J. (2018) · Cell Reports · doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2018.10.018 · Cited by 354
Self-citationThe Homeostatic Force of Ghrelin
Yanagi, S., Sato, T., Kangawa, K., & Nakazato, M. (2018) · Cell Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2018.02.008 · Cited by 332
The Cells of the Islets of Langerhans
Xavier, G. D. S. (2018) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm7030054 · Cited by 343
Metadata
- Authors
- Adriaenssens, A. E., Svendsen, B., Lam, B. Y. H., Yeo, G. S. H., Holst, J. J., Reimann, F., & Gribble, F. M.
- Affiliations
- Wellcome/MRC Institute of Metabolic Science (GB)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Reimann, Frank
- Gribble, Fiona M.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Diabetologia
- Published
- 2016-07-07
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 2156-2165
- ISSN
- 0012-186X (ISSN-L)
- 1432-0428
- PMC
- PMC5016554
- OpenAlex
- W2460804009
- Cited by
- 223
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 2
- FWCI
- 25.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Diabetologia (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Apollo (cc-by)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (106262/Z/14/Z)
- Medical Research Council (MRC_MC_UU_12012/5)
- Novo Nordisk Foundation
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Pancreatic function and diabetes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Treatment and Management
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Keywords
- ghrelin, growth hormone secretagogue receptor, pancreatic delta cells, somatostatin secretion, pancreatic islets, alpha cells, pancreatic beta cells, insulin secretion, glucagon secretion, glucose metabolism
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Calcium, Glucagon, Insulin, Islets of Langerhans, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Transgenic, Somatostatin-Secreting Cells, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, Glucagon-Secreting Cells, Insulin-Secreting Cells, Mice, Ghrelin, Transcriptome
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