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Staels W, Berthault C, Bourgeois S, Laville V, Lourenço C, De Leu N, Scharfmann R. Comprehensive alpha, beta, and delta cell transcriptomics reveal an association of cellular aging with MHC class I upregulation. Mol Metab 2024; 87:101990. [PMID: 39009220 PMCID: PMC11327396 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a purification method developed for isolating alpha, beta, and delta cells from pancreatic islets of adult mice, extending its application to islets from newborn and aged mice. Furthermore, it sought to examine transcriptome dynamics in mouse pancreatic endocrine islet cells throughout postnatal development and to validate age-related alterations within these cell populations. METHODS We leveraged the high surface expression of CD71 on beta cells and CD24 on delta cells to FACS-purify alpha, beta, and delta cells from newborn (1-week-old), adult (12-week-old), and old (18-month-old) mice. Bulk RNA sequencing was conducted on these purified cell populations, and subsequent bioinformatic analyses included differential gene expression, overrepresentation, and intersection analysis. RESULTS Alpha, beta, and delta cells from newborn and aged mice were successfully FACS-purified using the same method employed for adult mice. Our analysis of the age-related transcriptional changes in alpha, beta, and delta cell populations revealed a decrease in cell cycling and an increase in neuron-like features processes during the transition from newborn to adult mice. Progressing from adult to old mice, we identified an inflammatory gene signature related to aging (inflammaging) encompassing an increase in β-2 microglobulin and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class I expression. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of our cell sorting technique in purifying endocrine subsets from mouse islets at different ages. We provide a valuable resource for better understanding endocrine pancreas aging and identified an inflammaging gene signature with increased β-2 microglobulin and MHC Class I expression as a common hallmark of old alpha, beta, and delta cells, with potential implications for immune response regulation and age-related diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Staels
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, U1016, CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France; Genetics, Reproduction and Development (GRAD), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium; Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Brussels, Belgium.
| | - C Berthault
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, U1016, CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France
| | - S Bourgeois
- Genetics, Reproduction and Development (GRAD), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - V Laville
- Stem Cells and Development Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; UMR CNRS 3738, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Paris, France
| | - C Lourenço
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, U1016, CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France
| | - N De Leu
- Genetics, Reproduction and Development (GRAD), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium; Endocrinology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Brussels, Belgium; Endocrinology, ASZ Aalst, 9300 Aalst, Belgium
| | - R Scharfmann
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, U1016, CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France
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2
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Zhao J, Liang S, Cen HH, Li Y, Baker RK, Ruprai B, Gao G, Zhang C, Ren H, Tang C, Chen L, Liu Y, Lynn FC, Johnson JD, Kieffer TJ. PDX1+ cell budding morphogenesis in a stem cell-derived islet spheroid system. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5894. [PMID: 39003281 PMCID: PMC11246529 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50109-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Remarkable advances in protocol development have been achieved to manufacture insulin-secreting islets from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Distinct from current approaches, we devised a tunable strategy to generate islet spheroids enriched for major islet cell types by incorporating PDX1+ cell budding morphogenesis into staged differentiation. In this process that appears to mimic normal islet morphogenesis, the differentiating islet spheroids organize with endocrine cells that are intermingled or arranged in a core-mantle architecture, accompanied with functional heterogeneity. Through in vitro modelling of human pancreas development, we illustrate the importance of PDX1 and the requirement for EphB3/4 signaling in eliciting cell budding morphogenesis. Using this new approach, we model Mitchell-Riley syndrome with RFX6 knockout hPSCs illustrating unexpected morphogenesis defects in the differentiation towards islet cells. The tunable differentiation system and stem cell-derived islet models described in this work may facilitate addressing fundamental questions in islet biology and probing human pancreas diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Zhao
- Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Cellular & Physiological Sciences and Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Shenghui Liang
- Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Cellular & Physiological Sciences and Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Haoning Howard Cen
- Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Cellular & Physiological Sciences and Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Yanjun Li
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, School of Future Technology, National Biomedical Imaging Center, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Robert K Baker
- Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Cellular & Physiological Sciences and Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Balwinder Ruprai
- Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Cellular & Physiological Sciences and Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Guang Gao
- Imaging Core Facility, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Chloe Zhang
- Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Cellular & Physiological Sciences and Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Huixia Ren
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, School of Future Technology, National Biomedical Imaging Center, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Tang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Liangyi Chen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, School of Future Technology, National Biomedical Imaging Center, Peking University, Beijing, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanmei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Francis C Lynn
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - James D Johnson
- Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Cellular & Physiological Sciences and Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Timothy J Kieffer
- Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Cellular & Physiological Sciences and Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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3
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Kolic J, Beet L, Overby P, Cen HH, Panzhinskiy E, Ure DR, Cross JL, Huizinga RB, Johnson JD. Differential Effects of Voclosporin and Tacrolimus on Insulin Secretion From Human Islets. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5902465. [PMID: 32894758 PMCID: PMC7567406 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The incidence of new onset diabetes after transplant (NODAT) has increased over the past decade, likely due to calcineurin inhibitor-based immunosuppressants, including tacrolimus (TAC) and cyclosporin. Voclosporin (VCS), a next-generation calcineurin inhibitor, is reported to cause fewer incidences of NODAT but the reason is unclear. While calcineurin signaling plays important roles in pancreatic β-cell survival, proliferation, and function, its effects on human β-cells remain understudied. In particular, we do not understand why some calcineurin inhibitors have more profound effects on the incidence of NODAT. We compared the effects of TAC and VCS on the dynamics of insulin secretory function, programmed cell death rate, and the transcriptomic profile of human islets. We studied 2 clinically relevant doses of TAC (10 ng/mL, 30 ng/mL) and VCS (20 ng/mL, 60 ng/mL), meant to approximate the clinical trough and peak concentrations. TAC, but not VCS, caused a significant impairment of 15 mM glucose-stimulated and 30 mM KCl-stimulated insulin secretion. This points to molecular defects in the distal stages of exocytosis after voltage-gated Ca2+ entry. No significant effects on islet cell survival or total insulin content were identified. RNA sequencing showed that TAC significantly decreased the expression of 17 genes, including direct and indirect regulators of exocytosis (SYT16, TBC1D30, PCK1, SMOC1, SYT5, PDK4, and CREM), whereas VCS has less broad, and milder, effects on gene expression. Clinically relevant doses of TAC, but not VCS, directly inhibit insulin secretion from human islets, likely via transcriptional control of exocytosis machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Kolic
- Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences & Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Leanne Beet
- Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences & Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Peter Overby
- Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences & Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Haoning Howard Cen
- Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences & Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Evgeniy Panzhinskiy
- Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences & Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Daren R Ure
- Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | - James D Johnson
- Correspondence: Professor James D. Johnson, PhD, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences & Department of Surgery, The University of British Columbia, Life Sciences Institute, 5358 – 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z3. E-mail: ; Twitter: @JimJohnsonSci
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Shimoide T, Kawao N, Morita H, Ishida M, Takafuji Y, Kaji H. Roles of Olfactomedin 1 in Muscle and Bone Alterations Induced by Gravity Change in Mice. Calcif Tissue Int 2020; 107:180-190. [PMID: 32462291 DOI: 10.1007/s00223-020-00710-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Microgravity causes both muscle and bone loss. Although we previously revealed that gravity change influences muscle and bone through the vestibular system in mice, its detailed mechanism has not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the roles of olfactomedin 1 (OLFM1), whose expression was upregulated during hypergravity in the soleus muscle, in mouse bone cells. Vestibular lesion significantly blunted OLFM1 expression in the soleus muscle and serum OLFM1 levels enhanced by hypergravity in mice. Moreover, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor antagonized shear stress-enhanced OLFM1 expression in C2C12 myotubes. As for the effects of OLFM1 on bone cells, OLFM1 inhibited osteoclast formation from mouse bone marrow cells and mouse preosteoclastic RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, OLFM1 suppressed RANKL expression and nuclear factor-κB signaling in mouse osteoblasts. Serum OLFM1 levels were positively related to OLFM1 mRNA levels in the soleus muscle and trabecular bone mineral density of mice. In conclusion, we first showed that OLFM1 suppresses osteoclast formation and RANKL expression in mouse cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Shimoide
- Department of Physiology and Regenerative Medicine, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, 377-2 Ohnohigashi, Osakasayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Kawao
- Department of Physiology and Regenerative Medicine, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, 377-2 Ohnohigashi, Osakasayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan
| | - Hironobu Morita
- Department of Physiology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Ishida
- Department of Physiology and Regenerative Medicine, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, 377-2 Ohnohigashi, Osakasayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Takafuji
- Department of Physiology and Regenerative Medicine, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, 377-2 Ohnohigashi, Osakasayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kaji
- Department of Physiology and Regenerative Medicine, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, 377-2 Ohnohigashi, Osakasayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan.
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5
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Mazier W, Cota D. Islet Endothelial Cell: Friend and Foe. Endocrinology 2017; 158:226-228. [PMID: 28430925 DOI: 10.1210/en.2016-1925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wilfrid Mazier
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, Physiophatologie de la Plasticité Neuronale, U1215, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
- University of Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, Physiopathologie de la Plasticité Neuronale, U1215, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Daniela Cota
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, Physiophatologie de la Plasticité Neuronale, U1215, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
- University of Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, Physiopathologie de la Plasticité Neuronale, U1215, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
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6
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Johnson JD. The quest to make fully functional human pancreatic beta cells from embryonic stem cells: climbing a mountain in the clouds. Diabetologia 2016; 59:2047-57. [PMID: 27473069 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-016-4059-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The production of fully functional insulin-secreting cells to treat diabetes is a major goal of regenerative medicine. In this article, I review progress towards this goal over the last 15 years from the perspective of a beta cell biologist. I describe the current state-of-the-art, and speculate on the general approaches that will be required to identify and achieve our ultimate goal of producing functional beta cells. The need for deeper phenotyping of heterogeneous cultures of stem cell derived islet-like cells in parallel with a better understanding of the heterogeneity of the target cell type(s) is emphasised. This deep phenotyping should include high-throughput single-cell analysis, as well as comprehensive 'omics technologies to provide unbiased characterisation of cell products and human beta cells. There are justified calls for more detailed and well-powered studies of primary human pancreatic beta cell physiology, and I propose online databases of standardised human beta cell responses to physiological stimuli, including both functional and metabolomic/proteomic/transcriptomic profiles. With a concerted, community-wide effort, including both basic and applied scientists, beta cell replacement will become a clinical reality for patients with diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Johnson
- Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, 5358-2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z3.
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7
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Szabat M, Page MM, Panzhinskiy E, Skovsø S, Mojibian M, Fernandez-Tajes J, Bruin JE, Bround MJ, Lee JTC, Xu EE, Taghizadeh F, O'Dwyer S, van de Bunt M, Moon KM, Sinha S, Han J, Fan Y, Lynn FC, Trucco M, Borchers CH, Foster LJ, Nislow C, Kieffer TJ, Johnson JD. Reduced Insulin Production Relieves Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Induces β Cell Proliferation. Cell Metab 2016; 23:179-93. [PMID: 26626461 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2015.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Revised: 09/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic β cells are mostly post-mitotic, but it is unclear what locks them in this state. Perturbations including uncontrolled hyperglycemia can drive β cells into more pliable states with reduced cellular insulin levels, increased β cell proliferation, and hormone mis-expression, but it is unknown whether reduced insulin production itself plays a role. Here, we define the effects of ∼50% reduced insulin production in Ins1(-/-):Ins2(f/f):Pdx1Cre(ERT):mTmG mice prior to robust hyperglycemia. Transcriptome, proteome, and network analysis revealed alleviation of chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, indicated by reduced Ddit3, Trib3, and Atf4 expression; reduced Xbp1 splicing; and reduced phospho-eIF2α. This state was associated with hyper-phosphorylation of Akt, which is negatively regulated by Trib3, and with cyclinD1 upregulation. Remarkably, β cell proliferation was increased 2-fold after reduced insulin production independently of hyperglycemia. Eventually, recombined cells mis-expressed glucagon in the hyperglycemic state. We conclude that the normally high rate of insulin production suppresses β cell proliferation in a cell-autonomous manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Szabat
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Melissa M Page
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Evgeniy Panzhinskiy
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Søs Skovsø
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Majid Mojibian
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Juan Fernandez-Tajes
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Jennifer E Bruin
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Michael J Bround
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Jason T C Lee
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Eric E Xu
- Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Farnaz Taghizadeh
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Shannon O'Dwyer
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Martijn van de Bunt
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Kyung-Mee Moon
- Centre for High-Throughput Biology, University of British Columbia, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sunita Sinha
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jun Han
- UVic-Genome BC Proteomics Centre, University of Victoria, BC V8Z 7X8, Canada
| | - Yong Fan
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA 15212-4772, USA
| | - Francis C Lynn
- Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Massimo Trucco
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA 15212-4772, USA
| | | | - Leonard J Foster
- Centre for High-Throughput Biology, University of British Columbia, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Corey Nislow
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Timothy J Kieffer
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - James D Johnson
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Diabetes Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, BC V6T1Z3, Canada.
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8
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Szabat M, Modi H, Ramracheya R, Girbinger V, Chan F, Lee JTC, Piske M, Kamal S, Carol Yang YH, Welling A, Rorsman P, Johnson JD. High-content screening identifies a role for Na(+) channels in insulin production. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:150306. [PMID: 27019722 PMCID: PMC4807443 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Insulin production is the central feature of functionally mature and differentiated pancreatic β-cells. Reduced insulin transcription and dedifferentiation have been implicated in type 2 diabetes, making drugs that could reverse these processes potentially useful. We have previously established ratiometric live-cell imaging tools to identify factors that increase insulin promoter activity and promote β-cell differentiation. Here, we present a single vector imaging tool with eGFP and mRFP, driven by the Pdx1 and Ins1 promoters, respectively, targeted to the nucleus to enhance identification of individual cells in a high-throughput manner. Using this new approach, we screened 1120 off-patent drugs for factors that regulate Ins1 and Pdx1 promoter activity in MIN6 β-cells. We identified a number of compounds that positively modulate Ins1 promoter activity, including several drugs known to modulate ion channels. Carbamazepine was selected for extended follow-up, as our previous screen also identified this use-dependent sodium channel inhibitor as a positive modulator of β-cell survival. Indeed, carbamazepine increased Ins1 and Ins2 mRNA in primary mouse islets at lower doses than were required to protect β-cells. We validated the role of sodium channels in insulin production by examining Nav1.7 (Scn9a) knockout mice and remarkably islets from these animals had dramatically elevated insulin content relative to wild-type controls. Collectively, our experiments provide a starting point for additional studies aimed to identify drugs and molecular pathways that control insulin production and β-cell differentiation status. In particular, our unbiased screen identified a novel role for a β-cell sodium channel gene in insulin production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Szabat
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Life Sciences Centre, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Honey Modi
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Life Sciences Centre, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Reshma Ramracheya
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Headington OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Vroni Girbinger
- Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie der Technischen Universität, 80802 München, Germany
| | - Forson Chan
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Life Sciences Centre, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Jason T. C. Lee
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Life Sciences Centre, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Micah Piske
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Life Sciences Centre, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Sepehr Kamal
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Life Sciences Centre, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Yu Hsuan Carol Yang
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Life Sciences Centre, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Andrea Welling
- Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie der Technischen Universität, 80802 München, Germany
| | - Patrik Rorsman
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Headington OX3 7LE, UK
| | - James D. Johnson
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Life Sciences Centre, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3
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9
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Abstract
Pancreatic beta cells are clustered in islets of Langerhans together with alpha cells in an arrangement that facilitates the tight coordination of insulin and glucagon secretion at the source of their release. Other secretory cells, including somatostatin-secreting delta cells and pancreatic polypeptide cells, co-localise with alpha and beta cells in the islet and serve to modulate islet endocrine output. A multitude of non-secretory cell types, including endothelial cells, pericytes, stromal cells, glial cells and macrophages, complete the cellular make up of the islet, which is further enhanced by (para)sympathetic nerve terminals that impinge on the islets via neurotransmitters released in the islet microenvironment. While this islet architecture is relatively simple compared with the vast complexity of the central nervous system, the constellation of cell types united in the islet nevertheless provides a rich substrate for local paracrine and autocrine interactions that affect diverse aspects of islet physiology, ranging from the modulation of hormone secretion to the regulation of islet cell mass via proliferation and death. In this issue of Diabetologia (DOI: 10.1007/s00125-015-3552-5 ), Yang et al take the notion of rich crosstalk within the islet as their point of departure for a systematic evaluation of the beta cell-protective properties of an extensive panel of over 200 factors, with some surprising and highly interesting results, as discussed in this commentary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark O Huising
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA,
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