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Mi J, Ren L, Andersson O. Leveraging zebrafish to investigate pancreatic development, regeneration, and diabetes. Trends Mol Med 2024:S1471-4914(24)00124-2. [PMID: 38825440 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2024.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
The zebrafish has become an outstanding model for studying organ development and tissue regeneration, which is prominently leveraged for studies of pancreatic development, insulin-producing β-cells, and diabetes. Although studied for more than two decades, many aspects remain elusive and it has only recently been possible to investigate these due to technical advances in transcriptomics, chemical-genetics, genome editing, drug screening, and in vivo imaging. Here, we review recent findings on zebrafish pancreas development, β-cell regeneration, and how zebrafish can be used to provide novel insights into gene functions, disease mechanisms, and therapeutic targets in diabetes, inspiring further use of zebrafish for the development of novel therapies for diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiarui Mi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Gastroenterology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, China.
| | - Lipeng Ren
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olov Andersson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala, Sweden.
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2
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Tucker TR, Knitter CA, Khoury DM, Eshghi S, Tran S, Sharrock AV, Wiles TJ, Ackerley DF, Mumm JS, Parsons MJ. An inducible model of chronic hyperglycemia. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:dmm050215. [PMID: 37401381 PMCID: PMC10417516 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Transgene driven expression of Escherichia coli nitroreductase (NTR1.0) renders animal cells susceptible to the antibiotic metronidazole (MTZ). Many NTR1.0/MTZ ablation tools have been reported in zebrafish, which have significantly impacted regeneration studies. However, NTR1.0-based tools are not appropriate for modeling chronic cell loss as prolonged application of the required MTZ dose (10 mM) is deleterious to zebrafish health. We established that this dose corresponds to the median lethal dose (LD50) of MTZ in larval and adult zebrafish and that it induced intestinal pathology. NTR2.0 is a more active nitroreductase engineered from Vibrio vulnificus NfsB that requires substantially less MTZ to induce cell ablation. Here, we report on the generation of two new NTR2.0-based zebrafish lines in which acute β-cell ablation can be achieved without MTZ-associated intestinal pathology. For the first time, we were able to sustain β-cell loss and maintain elevated glucose levels (chronic hyperglycemia) in larvae and adults. Adult fish showed significant weight loss, consistent with the induction of a diabetic state, indicating that this paradigm will allow the modeling of diabetes and associated pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tori R. Tucker
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Courtney A. Knitter
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Deena M. Khoury
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sheida Eshghi
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sophia Tran
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Abigail V. Sharrock
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Travis J. Wiles
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - David F. Ackerley
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Jeff S. Mumm
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael J. Parsons
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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Zhao C, Matalonga J, Lancman JJ, Liu L, Xiao C, Kumar S, Gates KP, He J, Graves A, Huisken J, Azuma M, Lu Z, Chen C, Ding BS, Dong PDS. Regenerative failure of intrahepatic biliary cells in Alagille syndrome rescued by elevated Jagged/Notch/Sox9 signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2201097119. [PMID: 36469766 PMCID: PMC9897440 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201097119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the robust healing capacity of the liver, regenerative failure underlies numerous hepatic diseases, including the JAG1 haploinsufficient disorder, Alagille syndrome (ALGS). Cholestasis due to intrahepatic duct (IHD) paucity resolves in certain ALGS cases but fails in most with no clear mechanisms or therapeutic interventions. We find that modulating jag1b and jag2b allele dosage is sufficient to stratify these distinct outcomes, which can be either exacerbated or rescued with genetic manipulation of Notch signaling, demonstrating that perturbations of Jag/Notch signaling may be causal for the spectrum of ALGS liver severities. Although regenerating IHD cells proliferate, they remain clustered in mutants that fail to recover due to a blunted elevation of Notch signaling in the distal-most IHD cells. Increased Notch signaling is required for regenerating IHD cells to branch and segregate into the peripheral region of the growing liver, where biliary paucity is commonly observed in ALGS. Mosaic loss- and-gain-of-function analysis reveals Sox9b to be a key Notch transcriptional effector required cell autonomously to regulate these cellular dynamics during IHD regeneration. Treatment with a small-molecule putative Notch agonist stimulates Sox9 expression in ALGS patient fibroblasts and enhances hepatic sox9b expression, rescues IHD paucity and cholestasis, and increases survival in zebrafish mutants, thereby providing a proof-of-concept therapeutic avenue for this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengjian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan, 610041People’s Republic of China
- Human Genetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
| | - Jonathan Matalonga
- Human Genetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
| | - Joseph J. Lancman
- Human Genetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
| | - Lu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan, 610041People’s Republic of China
| | - Chaoxin Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan, 610041People’s Republic of China
| | - Shiv Kumar
- Human Genetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
| | - Keith P. Gates
- Human Genetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
| | - Jiaye He
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI53715
| | | | - Jan Huisken
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI53715
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53706
| | - Mizuki Azuma
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS66045
| | - Zhenghao Lu
- Chengdu Organoidmed Medical Laboratory Ltd., Sichuan, 610041People’s Republic of China
| | - Chong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan, 610041People’s Republic of China
| | - Bi-Sen Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan, 610041People’s Republic of China
| | - P. Duc Si Dong
- Human Genetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
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Edelman HE, McClymont SA, Tucker TR, Pineda S, Beer RL, McCallion AS, Parsons MJ. SOX9 modulates cancer biomarker and cilia genes in pancreatic cancer. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:485-499. [PMID: 33693707 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive form of cancer with high mortality. The cellular origins of PDAC are largely unknown; however, ductal cells, especially centroacinar cells (CACs), have several characteristics in common with PDAC, such as expression of SOX9 and components of the Notch-signaling pathway. Mutations in KRAS and alterations to Notch signaling are common in PDAC, and both these pathways regulate the transcription factor SOX9. To identify genes regulated by SOX9, we performed siRNA knockdown of SOX9 followed by RNA-seq in PANC-1s, a human PDAC cell line. We report 93 differentially expressed (DE) genes, with convergence on alterations to Notch-signaling pathways and ciliogenesis. These results point to SOX9 and Notch activity being in a positive feedback loop and SOX9 regulating cilia production in PDAC. We additionally performed ChIP-seq in PANC-1s to identify direct targets of SOX9 binding and integrated these results with our DE gene list. Nine of the top 10 downregulated genes have evidence of direct SOX9 binding at their promoter regions. One of these targets was the cancer stem cell marker EpCAM. Using whole-mount in situ hybridization to detect epcam transcript in zebrafish larvae, we demonstrated that epcam is a CAC marker and that Sox9 regulation of epcam expression is conserved in zebrafish. Additionally, we generated an epcam null mutant and observed pronounced defects in ciliogenesis during development. Our results provide a link between SOX9, EpCAM and ciliary repression that can be exploited in improving our understanding of the cellular origins and mechanisms of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Edelman
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N. Broadway, 470 Miller Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Sarah A McClymont
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N. Broadway, 470 Miller Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Tori R Tucker
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Natural Sciences II, CA 92697, USA
| | - Santiago Pineda
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Natural Sciences II, CA 92697, USA
| | - Rebecca L Beer
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N. Broadway, 470 Miller Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Andrew S McCallion
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N. Broadway, 470 Miller Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Michael J Parsons
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N. Broadway, 470 Miller Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.,Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Natural Sciences II, CA 92697, USA
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Zhou Y, Wang H, Zhou J, Qiu S, Cai T, Li H, Shen Z, Hu Y, Ding B, Luo M, Huang R, Yan R, Xu W, He C, Zhang Y, Li F, Sun Z, Ma J. Vitamin A and Its Multi-Effects on Pancreas: Recent Advances and Prospects. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:620941. [PMID: 33679618 PMCID: PMC7930481 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.620941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitamin A (VA), which is stored in several forms in most tissues, is required to maintain metabolite homeostasis and other processes, including the visual cycle, energy balance, epithelial cell integrity, and infection resistance. In recent years, VA molecules, also known as retinoids, have been extensively explored and used in the treatment of skin disorders and immune-related tumors. To date, several observational and interventional studies have explored the relationship between VA status and the pathogenesis of diabetes. In particular, VA micronutrients have been shown to regulate pancreatic development, β-cell function, pancreatic innate immune responses, and pancreatic stellate cells phenotypes through multiple mechanisms. However, there are still many problems to be proven or resolved. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent and available evidence on VA biological metabolism in the pancreas. Analysis of the effects of VA on metabolism in the pancreas will contribute to our understanding of the supportive physiological roles of VA in pancreas protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunting Zhou
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huiying Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Junming Zhou
- Department of Cadre Gastroenterology, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shanhu Qiu
- Department of Endocrinology, Zhongda Hospital, Institute of Diabetes, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Endocrinology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tingting Cai
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huiqin Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ziyang Shen
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yun Hu
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bo Ding
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Menghui Luo
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Rong Huang
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Rengna Yan
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Endocrinology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou Institute of Medical Sciences, Xuzhou Clinical School of Nanjing Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Cong He
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yumin Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, Zhongda Hospital, Institute of Diabetes, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fengfei Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zilin Sun
- Department of Endocrinology, Zhongda Hospital, Institute of Diabetes, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianhua Ma
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Jianhua Ma,
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Yang B, Covington BA, Chen W. In vivo generation and regeneration of β cells in zebrafish. CELL REGENERATION (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 9:9. [PMID: 32613468 PMCID: PMC7329966 DOI: 10.1186/s13619-020-00052-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The pathological feature of diabetes, hyperglycemia, is a result of an inadequate number and/or function of insulin producing β cells. Replenishing functional β cells is a strategy to cure the disease. Although β-cell regeneration occurs in animal models under certain conditions, human β cells are refractory to proliferation. A better understanding of both the positive and the negative regulatory mechanisms of β-cell regeneration in animal models is essential to develop novel strategies capable of inducing functional β cells in patients. Zebrafish are an attractive model system for studying β-cell regeneration due to the ease to which genetic and chemical-genetic approaches can be used as well as their high regenerative capacity. Here, we highlight the current state of β-cell regeneration studies in zebrafish with an emphasis on cell signaling mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingyuan Yang
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 2215 Garland Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Brittney A Covington
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 2215 Garland Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Wenbiao Chen
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 2215 Garland Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
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So J, Kim M, Lee SH, Ko S, Lee DA, Park H, Azuma M, Parsons MJ, Prober D, Shin D. Attenuating the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase-Sex-Determining Region Y-Box 9 Axis Promotes Liver Progenitor Cell-Mediated Liver Regeneration in Zebrafish. Hepatology 2020; 73:1494-1508. [PMID: 32602149 PMCID: PMC7769917 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The liver is a highly regenerative organ, but its regenerative capacity is compromised in severe liver injury settings. In chronic liver diseases, the number of liver progenitor cells (LPCs) correlates proportionally to disease severity, implying that their inefficient differentiation into hepatocytes exacerbates the disease. Moreover, LPCs secrete proinflammatory cytokines; thus, their prolonged presence worsens inflammation and induces fibrosis. Promoting LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation in patients with advanced liver disease, for whom liver transplantation is currently the only therapeutic option, may be a feasible clinical approach because such promotion generates more functional hepatocytes and concomitantly reduces inflammation and fibrosis. APPROACH AND RESULTS Here, using zebrafish models of LPC-mediated liver regeneration, we present a proof of principle of such therapeutics by demonstrating a role for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway in differentiation of LPCs into hepatocytes. We found that suppression of EGFR signaling promoted LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation through the mitogen-activated ERK kinase (MEK)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-sex-determining region Y-box 9 (SOX9) cascade. Pharmacological inhibition of EGFR or MEK/ERK promoted LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation as well as genetic suppression of the EGFR-ERK-SOX9 axis. Moreover, Sox9b overexpression in LPCs blocked their differentiation into hepatocytes. In the zebrafish liver injury model, both hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells contributed to LPCs. EGFR inhibition promoted the differentiation of LPCs regardless of their origin. Notably, short-term treatment with EGFR inhibitors resulted in better liver recovery over the long term. CONCLUSIONS The EGFR-ERK-SOX9 axis suppresses LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation during LPC-mediated liver regeneration. We suggest EGFR inhibitors as a proregenerative therapeutic drug for patients with advanced liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhoon So
- Department of Developmental Biology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA,Correspondence: Donghun Shin, 3501 5 Ave. #5063 Pittsburgh, PA 15260, 1-412-624-2144 (phone), 1-412-383-2211 (fax), ; Juhoon So, 3501 5 Ave. #5065 Pittsburgh, PA 15260, 1-412-624-2145 (phone), 1-412-383-2211 (fax),
| | - Minwook Kim
- Department of Developmental Biology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Seung-Hoon Lee
- Department of Developmental Biology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Sungjin Ko
- Department of Developmental Biology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA,Present address: Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Daniel A. Lee
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Hyewon Park
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Mizuki Azuma
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Michael J. Parsons
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - David Prober
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Donghun Shin
- Department of Developmental Biology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA,Correspondence: Donghun Shin, 3501 5 Ave. #5063 Pittsburgh, PA 15260, 1-412-624-2144 (phone), 1-412-383-2211 (fax), ; Juhoon So, 3501 5 Ave. #5065 Pittsburgh, PA 15260, 1-412-624-2145 (phone), 1-412-383-2211 (fax),
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Russell JO, Ko S, Monga SP, Shin D. Notch Inhibition Promotes Differentiation of Liver Progenitor Cells into Hepatocytes via sox9b Repression in Zebrafish. Stem Cells Int 2019; 2019:8451282. [PMID: 30992706 PMCID: PMC6434270 DOI: 10.1155/2019/8451282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver regeneration after most forms of injury is mediated through the proliferation of hepatocytes. However, when hepatocyte proliferation is impaired, such as during chronic liver disease, liver progenitor cells (LPCs) arising from the biliary epithelial cell (BEC) compartment can give rise to hepatocytes to mediate hepatic repair. Promotion of LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation in patients with chronic liver disease could serve as a potentially new therapeutic option, but first requires the identification of the molecular mechanisms driving this process. Notch signaling has been identified as an important signaling pathway promoting the BEC fate during development and has also been implicated in regulating LPC differentiation during regeneration. SRY-related HMG box transcription factor 9 (Sox9) is a direct target of Notch signaling in the liver, and Sox9 has also been shown to promote the BEC fate during development. We have recently shown in a zebrafish model of LPC-driven liver regeneration that inhibition of Hdac1 activity through MS-275 treatment enhances sox9b expression in LPCs and impairs LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation. Therefore, we hypothesized that inhibition of Notch signaling would promote LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation by repressing sox9b expression in zebrafish. We ablated the hepatocytes of Tg(fabp10a:CFP-NTR) larvae and blocked Notch activation during liver regeneration through treatment with γ-secretase inhibitor LY411575 and demonstrated enhanced induction of Hnf4a in LPCs. Alternatively, enhancing Notch signaling via Notch3 intracellular domain (N3ICD) overexpression impaired Hnf4a induction. Hepatocyte ablation in sox9b heterozygous mutant embryos enhanced Hnf4a induction, while BEC-specific Sox9b overexpression impaired LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation. Our results establish the Notch-Sox9b signaling axis as inhibitory to LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation in a well-established in vivo LPC-driven liver regeneration model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sungjin Ko
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Satdarshan P. Monga
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Donghun Shin
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
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Maddison LA, Chen W. Modeling Pancreatic Endocrine Cell Adaptation and Diabetes in the Zebrafish. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:9. [PMID: 28184214 PMCID: PMC5266698 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucose homeostasis is an important element of energy balance and is conserved in organisms from fruit fly to mammals. Central to the control of circulating glucose levels in vertebrates are the endocrine cells of the pancreas, particularly the insulin-producing β-cells and the glucagon producing α-cells. A feature of α- and β-cells is their plasticity, an ability to adapt, in function and number as a response to physiological and pathophysiological conditions of increased hormone demand. The molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptive responses that maintain glucose homeostasis are incompletely defined. The zebrafish is an attractive model due to the low cost, high fecundity, and amenability to genetic and compound screens, and mechanisms governing the development of the pancreatic endocrine cells are conserved between zebrafish and mammals. Post development, both β- and α-cells of zebrafish display plasticity as in mammals. Here, we summarize the studies of pancreatic endocrine cell adaptation in zebrafish. We further explore the utility of the zebrafish as a model for diabetes, a relevant topic considering the increase in diabetes in the human population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisette A. Maddison
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Wenbiao Chen
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
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