The ablation of the Cav2.3/E-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channel causes a mild phenotype despite an altered glucose induced glucagon response in isolated islets of Langerhans

Glucagon release upon hypoglycemia is an important homeostatic mechanism utilized by vertebrates to restore blood glucose to normal. Glucagon secretion itself is triggered by Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated ion channels, and the gene inactivation of R-type Ca2+ channels, with Cav2.3 as the ion conducting subunit, has been shown to disturb glucose homeostasis. To understand how glucagon release may be affected in Cav2.3-deficient mice, carbachol, insulin and glucose induced glucagon response was investigated. While the rise of insulin and glucose induced by carbachol is normal, mutant mice show an impaired glucagon-response. Further, the effect of insulin injection on glucagon levels was altered by the loss of the Cav2.3 subunit. Cav2.3-deficient mice are characterized by an impaired glucose suppression of glucagon release. This was most obvious at the level of isolated islets suggesting that Cav2.3 containing R-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels are involved in the glucose-mediated signalling to glucagon release in mice.