Ensnaring the pancreatic alpha-cell, and, Syntaxin 1A modulation of the alpha-cell Kv4.3 channel.
Published: 2006
Language: eng
Number of pages: 130
ISBN-13: 9780494163900
Description: Immunohistochemical and electrophysiological characterization of alpha- and beta-cells confirmed the viability of the GFP-labelling technique for examining islet cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated a large variance in beta-cell sizes with potential functional consequences.Pancreatic islet alpha- and beta-cells secrete glucagon and insulin respectively to maintain glucose homeostasis. Study of alpha-cells is limited by difficulties in isolating and identifying them and therefore little is known concerning regulation of alpha-cell membrane excitability and exocytosis. This thesis (1) assesses a new technique for efficient detection of alpha-cells in a transgenic mouse model expressing GFP-labelled beta-cells and (2) subsequently studies the alpha-cell Kv4.3 channel and its potential regulation by syntaxin 1A (Syn1A), a SNARE protein involved in modulating cell excitability and exocytosis.Our results also indicate that Kv4.3, which significantly shapes action potentials, is less responsive to Syn1A induced inhibition than other Kv channels and that Syn1A - Kv interactions are diverse and dynamic in nature.
Notes: Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-06, page: 2718.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Toronto, 2006.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

ROBARTS MICROTEXT copy on microfiche.