Ionic mechanisms in pancreatic β cell signaling

The function and survival of pancreatic β cells critically rely on complex electrical signaling systems composed of a series of ionic events, namely fluxes of K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and Cl^? across the β cell membranes. These electrical signaling systems not only sense events occurring in the extracellular space and intracellular milieu of pancreatic islet cells, but also control different β cell activities, most notably glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Three major ion fluxes including K⁺ efflux through ATP-sensitive K⁺ (K_ATP) channels, the voltage-gated Ca²⁺ (Ca_V) channel-mediated Ca²⁺ influx and K⁺ efflux through voltage-gated K⁺ (K_V) channels operate in the β cell. These ion fluxes set the resting membrane potential and the shape, rate and pattern of firing of action potentials under different metabolic conditions. The K_ATP channel-mediated K⁺ efflux determines the resting membrane potential and keeps the excitability of the β cell at low levels. Ca²⁺ influx through Ca_V1 channels, a major type of β cell Ca_V channels, causes the upstroke or depolarization phase of the action potential and regulates a wide range of β cell functions including the most elementary β cell function, insulin secretion. K⁺ efflux mediated by K_V2.1 delayed rectifier K⁺ channels, a predominant form of β cell K_V channels, brings about the downstroke or repolarization phase of the action potential, which acts as a brake for insulin secretion owing to shutting down the Ca_V channel-mediated Ca²⁺ entry. These three ion channel-mediated ion fluxes are the most important ionic events in β cell signaling. This review concisely discusses various ionic mechanisms in β cell signaling and highlights K_ATP channel-, Ca_V1 channel- and K_V2.1 channel-mediated ion fluxes.