Meda P
Département de Morphologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Genève, Switzerland.
Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 1996;57(6):481-3.
Alike most other cell types of eukaryotic organisms, the insulin-producing beta-cells of pancreatic islets are functionally interconnected by specialized regions of their cell membrane, referred to as gap junctions. These structures represent concentrations of channels which are formed by the proteins of the connexin family, and that are specialized for the exchange between neighboring cells of cytoplasmic ions and small molecules. This exchange is referred to as junctional coupling. Increasing evidence indicates that a normal expression of connexins and junctional coupling is essential to ensure proper insulin biosynthesis and secretion.
与大多数其他真核生物的细胞类型一样,胰岛中产生胰岛素的β细胞通过其细胞膜的特殊区域在功能上相互连接,这些区域被称为间隙连接。这些结构代表由连接蛋白家族的蛋白质形成的通道聚集区,专门用于相邻细胞之间细胞质离子和小分子的交换。这种交换被称为连接偶联。越来越多的证据表明,连接蛋白的正常表达和连接偶联对于确保胰岛素的正常生物合成和分泌至关重要。