Beta‐Cell Ion Channels and Their Role in Regulating Insulin Secretion
Benjamin Thompson, Leslie S. Satin
Abstract
Abstract Beta cells of the pancreatic islet express many different types of ion channels. These channels reside in the β‐cell plasma membrane as well as subcellular organelles and their coordinated activity and sensitivity to metabolism regulate glucose‐dependent insulin secretion. Here, we review the molecular nature, expression patterns, and functional roles of many β‐cell channels, with an eye toward explaining the ionic basis of glucose‐induced insulin secretion. Our primary focus is on K ATP and voltage‐gated Ca 2+ channels as these primarily regulate insulin secretion; other channels in our view primarily help to sculpt the electrical patterns generated by activated β‐cells or indirectly regulate metabolism. Lastly, we discuss why understanding the physiological roles played by ion channels is important for understanding the secretory defects that occur in type 2 diabetes. © 2021 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 11:2525‐2545, 2021.