Structure, interaction and nervous connectivity of beta cell primary cilia

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

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
JournalNature communications
Volume15
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

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