Cavβ3 Regulates Ca Signaling and Insulin Expression in Pancreatic β-Cells in a Cell-Autonomous Manner

Voltage-gated Ca (Cav) channels consist of a pore-forming Cavα1 subunit and auxiliary Cavα2-δ and Cavβ subunits. In fibroblasts, Cavβ3, independent of its role as a Cav subunit, reduces the sensitivity to low concentrations of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP). Similarly, Cavβ3 could affect cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca ]) in pancreatic β-cells. In this study, we deleted the Cavβ3-encoding gene in insulin-secreting rat β-(Ins-1) cells using CRISPR/Cas9. These cells were used as controls to investigate the role of Cavβ3 on Ca signaling, glucose-induced insulin secretion (GIIS), Cav channel activity, and gene expression in wild-type cells in which Cavβ3 and the IP receptor were coimmunoprecipitated. Transcript and protein profiling revealed significantly increased levels of insulin transcription factor Mafa, CaMKIV, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type-1, and nitric oxide synthase-1 in Cavβ3-knockout cells. In the absence of Cavβ3, Cav currents were not altered. In contrast, CREB activity, the amount of MAFA protein and GIIS, the extent of IP-dependent Ca release and the frequency of Ca oscillations were increased. These processes were decreased by the Cavβ3 protein in a concentration-dependent manner. Our study shows that Cavβ3 interacts with the IP receptor in isolated β-cells, controls IP-dependent Ca-signaling independently of Cav channel functions, and thereby regulates insulin expression and its glucose-dependent release in a cell-autonomous manner.