Structure, interaction and nervous connectivity of beta cell primary cilia

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Andreas Müller - , Molecular Diabetology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID) of the Helmholtz Center Munich (Author)
  • Nikolai Klena - , Human Technopole (Author)
  • Song Pang - , Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University (Author)
  • Leticia Elizabeth Galicia Garcia - , University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Clusters of Excellence PoL: Physics of Life, Molecular Diabetology (Author)
  • Oleksandra Topcheva - , Molecular Diabetology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID) of the Helmholtz Center Munich (Author)
  • Solange Aurrecoechea Duran - , University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Molecular Diabetology (Author)
  • Davud Sulaymankhil - , University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Molecular Diabetology (Author)
  • Monika Seliskar - , University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Molecular Diabetology (Author)
  • Hassan Mziaut - , Molecular Diabetology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID) of the Helmholtz Center Munich (Author)
  • Eyke Schöniger - , University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Molecular Diabetology (Author)
  • Daniela Friedland - , University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Molecular Diabetology (Author)
  • Nicole Kipke - , University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Molecular Diabetology (Author)
  • Susanne Kretschmar - , TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Carla Münster - , University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Molecular Diabetology (Author)
  • Jürgen Weitz - , Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Marius Distler - , Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Thomas Kurth - , Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Core Facility Electron Microscopy & Histology (Author)
  • Deborah Schmidt - , Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) (Author)
  • Harald F. Hess - , Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Author)
  • C. Shan Xu - , Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University (Author)
  • Gaia Pigino - , Human Technopole (Author)
  • Michele Solimena - , Molecular Diabetology, Clusters of Excellence PoL: Physics of Life, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID) of the Helmholtz Center Munich (Author)

Abstract

Primary cilia are sensory organelles present in many cell types, partaking in various signaling processes. Primary cilia of pancreatic beta cells play pivotal roles in paracrine signaling and their dysfunction is linked to diabetes. Yet, the structural basis for their functions is unclear. We present three-dimensional reconstructions of beta cell primary cilia by electron and expansion microscopy. These cilia are spatially confined within deep ciliary pockets or narrow spaces between cells, lack motility components and display an unstructured axoneme organization. Furthermore, we observe a plethora of beta cell cilia-cilia and cilia-cell interactions with other islet and non-islet cells. Most remarkably, we have identified and characterized axo-ciliary synapses between beta cell cilia and the cholinergic islet innervation. These findings highlight the beta cell cilia’s role in islet connectivity, pointing at their function in integrating islet intrinsic and extrinsic signals and contribute to understanding their significance in health and diabetes.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number9168
Number of pages18
JournalNature communications
Volume15 (2024)
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 24 Oct 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 39448638
ORCID /0000-0001-5624-1717/work/171064667