Charlotta Olofsson

Institution/Department: Dept of Neuroscience and Physiology
Previous studies: Lund University
Thesis: Short- and long-term effects of long-chain free fatty acids on pancreatic islet cell function
Research areas: Endocrine cell physiology. Diabetes, obesity and hormone secretion.
Current research: The white adipocyte is an endocrine cell secreting a large variety of biologically active molecules (adipokines) important for maintenance of energy homeostasis. Adipocytes take up glucose via the glucose transporter Glut4 and altered adipokine release as well as defective recruitment of Glut4 to the plasma membrane have been implicated in obesity-related diseases. The rapidly growing incidence of obesity highlights the importance of understanding how the adipocyte is regulated. However, regulatory mechanisms remain essentially unidentified. Most endocrine cells control their hormone release via changes in membrane potential leading to altered ion channel activity. An increase in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) triggers regulated release of hormone-containing vesicles. Here I shall investigate whether exocytosis in adipocytes is likewise electrically regulated, an aspect that remains largely unexplored. Using high-resolution electrophysiological techniques, my own pilot studies indicate that adipokine secretion and glucose uptake in the adipocyte is indeed associated with altered ion channel conductances and/or changes in [Ca2+]i. The objectives of the proposed studies are to 1) increase our understanding of how adipokine release and glucose uptake is electrically regulated;
2) elucidate whether the electrical properties of adipocytes are
altered under (patho)physiological conditions and; 3) investigate the involvement of ion channel expression in adipocyte maturation.

E-mail address: charlotta.olofsson@physiol.gu.se