Structure, interaction and nervous connectivity of beta cell primary cilia

Andreas Müller (), Nikolai Klena, Song Pang, Leticia Elizabeth Galicia Garcia, Oleksandra Topcheva, Solange Aurrecoechea Duran, Davud Sulaymankhil, Monika Seliskar, Hassan Mziaut, Eyke Schöniger, Daniela Friedland, Nicole Kipke, Susanne Kretschmar, Carla Münster, Jürgen Weitz, Marius Distler, Thomas Kurth, Deborah Schmidt, Harald F. Hess, C. Shan Xu, Gaia Pigino () and Michele Solimena ()
Additional contact information
Andreas Müller: TU Dresden
Nikolai Klena: Human Technopole (HT)
Song Pang: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Leticia Elizabeth Galicia Garcia: TU Dresden
Oleksandra Topcheva: TU Dresden
Solange Aurrecoechea Duran: TU Dresden
Davud Sulaymankhil: TU Dresden
Monika Seliskar: TU Dresden
Hassan Mziaut: TU Dresden
Eyke Schöniger: TU Dresden
Daniela Friedland: TU Dresden
Nicole Kipke: TU Dresden
Susanne Kretschmar: TU Dresden
Carla Münster: TU Dresden
Jürgen Weitz: TU Dresden
Marius Distler: TU Dresden
Thomas Kurth: TU Dresden
Deborah Schmidt: Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association
Harald F. Hess: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
C. Shan Xu: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Gaia Pigino: Human Technopole (HT)
Michele Solimena: TU Dresden

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Abstract Primary cilia are sensory organelles present in many cell types, partaking in various signaling processes. Primary cilia of pancreatic beta cells play pivotal roles in paracrine signaling and their dysfunction is linked to diabetes. Yet, the structural basis for their functions is unclear. We present three-dimensional reconstructions of beta cell primary cilia by electron and expansion microscopy. These cilia are spatially confined within deep ciliary pockets or narrow spaces between cells, lack motility components and display an unstructured axoneme organization. Furthermore, we observe a plethora of beta cell cilia-cilia and cilia-cell interactions with other islet and non-islet cells. Most remarkably, we have identified and characterized axo-ciliary synapses between beta cell cilia and the cholinergic islet innervation. These findings highlight the beta cell cilia’s role in islet connectivity, pointing at their function in integrating islet intrinsic and extrinsic signals and contribute to understanding their significance in health and diabetes.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53348-5

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