Using single-cell transcriptomics and functional assays, we identified various subsets of pancreatic beta cells. One subset, characterized by high levels of CD63, demonstrated enhanced glucose metabolism, mitochondrial activity, and glucose-induced insulin secretion, and the proportion of these beta cells was decreased in mouse models of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and humans with T2D.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Get just this article for as long as you need it
$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References
Gutierrez, G. D., Gromada, J. & Sussel, L. Heterogeneity of the pancreatic beta cell. Front. Genet. 8, 22 (2017). A review article summarizing beta-cell functional and morphological heterogeneity.
Benninger, R. K. P. & Kravets, V. The physiological role of beta-cell heterogeneity in pancreatic islet function. Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. 18, 9–22 (2022). A review article describing the features of beta-cell subpopulations in terms of insulin secretion, focusing on studies employing single-cell omics analyses and fluorescent reporters.
Knudsen, J. G. & Rorsman, P. Beta cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes: drained of energy? Cell Metab. 29, 1–2 (2019). A review article summarizing mechanisms of beta-cell dysfunction in T2D.
Dominguez-Gutierrez, G., Xin, Y. & Gromada, J. Heterogeneity of human pancreatic beta-cells. Mol. Metab. 27S, S7–S14 (2019). A review discussing the limitations of performing single-cell transcriptomics in human pancreatic islet cell samples.
Mawla, A. M. & Huising, M. O. Navigating the depths and avoiding the shallows of pancreatic islet cell transcriptomes. Diabetes 68, 1380–1393 (2019). In this article, the authors conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis with several data sets of human single-beta-cell transcriptomes.
Additional information
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
This is a summary of: Rubio-Navarro, A. et al. A beta cell subset with enhanced insulin secretion and glucose metabolism is reduced in type 2 diabetes. Nat. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-023-01103-1 (2023).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Perturbations in beta-cell heterogeneity in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Nat Cell Biol 25, 524–525 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-023-01105-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-023-01105-z