//     ROSALIE DITTRICH

Meyer Research Group
Institute of Molecular Biology,
University of Innsbruck

//     INFORMATION

Nationality: Austrian
Education: MSc in Neurobiology at the University of Vienna
E-Mail: rosalie.dittrich@uibk.ac.at
Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dirk Meyer

//     PROJECT

CACNA1C in insulin release and intra-islet communication

L-type calcium channels (LTCC) are crucial in controlling β-cell insulin synthesis and secretion, electrical activity, and β-cell mass. Recently, using zebrafish as a model to study diabetes risk factors, we showed that genetic loss of the α1C subunit gene CACNA1C causes unsynchronized and glucose-independent β-cell excitation in combination with hyperglycemia. Since the function of CACNA1C in insulin-release and its role in the communication between different islet cell types is not fully understood, we aim to investigate how altered channel function affects islet synchronized hormone release and paracrine modulation by combining genetic and in vivo calcium imaging approaches. Within the scope of this project, functions of the α1C subunit and Ca_v channels in general are to be examined in detail.

Methods: Molecular genetics, CRISPR/CAS9 genome editing, high resolution in vivo and ex vivo calcium imaging, single cell and whole islet patch-clamp, histology, electron microscopy.