A potential role for EphB:Ephrin B expression in the regulation of beta cell and islet endothelial cell communication

Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their associated ligands Ephrins are localised on cell membranes and require direct cell-cell contact for their activation. EphA-EphrinA mediates bi-directional communication between beta cells within islets to regulate insulin secretion [1], while EphB4 and EphrinB2 play vital signalling roles in endothelial cells during the regulation of angiogenesis. Islet endocrine and endothelial cells maintain direct contact in situ, but the role(s) of Ephrin signalling in islet endocrine-endothelial communication currently remains uninvestigated. Our aim was therefore to investigate wheth…