Inter-organ communication and regulation of beta cell function

The physiologically predominant signal for pancreatic beta cells to secrete insulin is glucose. While circulating glucose levels and beta cell glucose metabolism regulate the amount of released insulin, additional signals emanating from other tissues and from neighbouring islet endocrine cells modulate beta cell function. To this end, each individual beta cell can be viewed as a sensor of a multitude of stimuli that are integrated to determine the extent of glucose-dependent insulin release. This review discusses recent advances in our understanding of inter-organ communications that regulate beta cell insulin release in response to elevated glucose levels.