Endocrine Abstracts

The islets of Langerhans are the small endocrine micro-organs embedded in the exocrine pancreas. The beta-cells of the islets secrete insulin with its well-known blood glucose-lowering effects and that becomes deficient in diabetes. The islets also secrete glucagon (from alpha-cells), the body’s principal blood glucose-increasing hormone. The release of glucagon also becomes impaired in diabetes, which contributes to the metabolic impact of the lack of insulin and complic...

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), a class C G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) is critical for calcium homeostasis. The presence of CaSR at the plasma membrane (PM) is regulated by a balance between internalisation via clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and agonist-induced PM insertion from intracellular receptor pools, in a mechanism known as agonist-driven insertional signalling. Recently, mutations of the clathrin-mediated endocytic adaptor protein-2 sigma subunit, AP2σ,...

Endocrine cells utilise endocytosis to scavenge polypeptide hormones, and to generate signals from inactive precursors, such as release of thyroid hormones from thyroglobulin in thyrocytes, and activation of vitamin D after reabsorption of ultrafiltrated pro-vitamin D binding protein complex by renal proximal tubular cells (PTC). We have investigated the role of CLC-5, a chloride/proton antiporter expressed in apical endosomes and the apical plasma membrane of thyrocytes and P...