20.500.12556/DKUM-88645 From isles of Königsberg to islets of Langerhans: examining the function of the endocrine pancreas through network science Islets of Langerhans are multicellular microorgans located in the pancreas that play a central role in whole-body energy homeostasis. Through secretion of insulin and other hormones they regulate postprandial storage and interprandial usage of energy-rich nutrients. In these clusters of hormone-secreting endocrine cells, intricate cell-cell communication is essential for proper function. Electrical coupling between the insulin-secreting beta cells through gap junctions composed of connexin36 is particularly important, as it provides the required, most important, basis for coordinated responses of the beta cell population. The increasing evidence that gap-junctional communication and its modulation are vital to well-regulated secretion of insulin has stimulated immense interest in how subpopulations of heterogeneous beta cells are functionally arranged throughout the islets and how they mediate intercellular signals. In the last decade, several novel techniques have been proposed to assess cooperation between cells in islets, including the prosperous combination of multicellular imaging and network science. In the present contribution, we review recent advances related to the application of complex network approaches to uncover the functional connectivity patterns among cells within the islets. We first provide an accessible introduction to the basic principles of network theory, enumerating the measures characterizing the intercellular interactions and quantifying the functional integration and segregation of a multicellular system. Then we describe methodological approaches to construct functional beta cell networks, point out possible pitfalls, and specify the functional implications of beta cell network examinations. We continue by highlighting the recent findings obtained through advanced multicellular imaging techniques supported by network-based analyses, giving special emphasis to the current developments in both mouse and human islets, as well as outlining challenges offered by the multilayer network formalism in exploring the collective activity of islet cell populations. Finally, we emphasize that the combination of these imaging techniques and network-based analyses does not only represent an innovative concept that can be used to describe and interpret the physiology of islets, but also provides fertile ground for delineating normal from pathological function and for quantifying the changes in islet communication networks associated with the development of diabetes mellitus. pancreatic islets beta cells calcium imaging intercellular communication functional networks multilayer networks otočki trebušne slinavke beta celice slikanje s kalcijem medcelična komunikacija funkcionalna omrežja večplastna omrežja true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Znanstveno delo 2024-05-17 03:21:06 2024-12-20 13:57:59 2024-12-21 03:14:32 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2022 0 0 Str. 1-28 Letn. 13 Jun. 2022 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 2022-04-18 2022-05-16 2022-06-15 616.379 112192515 10.3389/fendo.2022.922640 1664-2392 RAZ_Stozer_Andraz_2022.pdf RAZ_Stozer_Andraz_2022.pdf 1 DF66E79B2D022E2280B24221D86DF230 601321031cb2d419ad2d48a0224c9085da01cef39c7628da712262e79dc6ff4f ce3f517d-bed1-11ef-a34d-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=187511 https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.922640 0 e4c4a3a9-bed1-11ef-a34d-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=187512 Medicinska fakulteta Fakulteta za naravoslovje in matematiko 0 0 0