The Takeda-G-protein-receptor-5 (TGR5) mediates physiological actions of bile acids. Since it was shown that TGR5 is expressed in pancreatic tissue, a direct TGR5 activation in b-cells is currently postulated and discussed. The current study reveals that oleanolic acid (OLA) affects murine b-cell function by TGR5 activation. Both a G as inhibitor and an inhibitor of adenylyl cyclase (AC) prevented stimulating effects of OLA. Accordingly, OLA augmented the intracellular cAMP concentration. OLA and two well-established TGR5 agonists, RG239 and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), acutely promoted stimulus-secretion coupling (SSC). OLA reduced K ATP current and elevated current through Ca 2+ channels. Accordingly, in mouse and human b-cells, TGR5 ligands increased the cytosolic Ca 2+ concentration by stimulating Ca 2+ influx. Higher OLA concentrations evoked a dual reaction, probably due to activation of a counterregulating pathway. Protein kinase A (PKA) was identified as a downstream target of TGR5 activation. In contrast, inhibition of phospholipase C and phosphoinositide 3-kinase did not prevent stimulating effects of OLA. Involvement of exchange protein directly activated by cAMP 2 (Epac2) or farnesoid X receptor (FXR2) was ruled out by experiments with knockout mice. The proposed pathway was not influenced by local glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) secretion from a-cells, shown by experiments with MIN6 cells, and a GLP-1 receptor antagonist. In summary, these data clearly demonstrate that activation of TGR5 in b-cells stimulates insulin secretion via an AC/cAMP/PKA-dependent pathway, which is supposed to interfere with SSC by affecting K ATP and Ca 2+ currents and thus membrane potential.In recent years, it became evident that the membrane protein Takeda-G-protein-receptor-5 (TGR5), also known as GPBA, MBAR, or Gpbar1, plays an important role in energy and glucose metabolism (1,2). TGR5 is present in several tissues and cell types including heart, spleen, intestine, macrophages, and pancreas (3,4). The receptor is involved in physiological processes such as inflammation, gallbladder filling, gastrointestinal motility, and thermogenesis (1,5-7). TGR5 stimulates secretion of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) from intestinal L cells and thus regulates glucose metabolism (8-10). TGR5 activation leads to energy expenditure, which in turn improves glucose homeostasis (9). Noteworthy, after vertical sleeve gastrectomy, TGR5 contributes to the beneficial effects of the surgery (11).The endogenous ligands of the receptor are bile acids that potently regulate glucose homeostasis (3). For oleanolic acid (OLA), a triterpene isolated from Olea europaea that improves metabolic disorders and has antidiabetes effects (12,13), the situation is less clear. While OLA is proposed to be a TGR5 agonist in pancreatic islets by one study (4), another group excludes an increase in cAMP concentration by OLA normally observed downstream of TGR5 activation (14). In addition, direct effects of OLA on b-cells through increased acetylcholine leve...