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Yang ZZ, Parchem RJ. The role of noncoding RNAs in pancreatic birth defects. Birth Defects Res 2023; 115:1785-1808. [PMID: 37066622 PMCID: PMC10579456 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2178] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Congenital defects in the pancreas can cause severe health issues such as pancreatic cancer and diabetes which require lifelong treatment. Regenerating healthy pancreatic cells to replace malfunctioning cells has been considered a promising cure for pancreatic diseases including birth defects. However, such therapies are currently unavailable in the clinic. The developmental gene regulatory network underlying pancreatic development must be reactivated for in vivo regeneration and recapitulated in vitro for cell replacement therapy. Thus, understanding the mechanisms driving pancreatic development will pave the way for regenerative therapies. Pancreatic progenitor cells are the precursors of all pancreatic cells which use epigenetic changes to control gene expression during differentiation to generate all of the distinct pancreatic cell types. Epigenetic changes involving DNA methylation and histone modifications can be controlled by noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). Indeed, increasing evidence suggests that ncRNAs are indispensable for proper organogenesis. Here, we summarize recent insight into the role of ncRNAs in the epigenetic regulation of pancreatic development. We further discuss how disruptions in ncRNA biogenesis and expression lead to developmental defects and diseases. This review summarizes in vivo data from animal models and in vitro studies using stem cell differentiation as a model for pancreatic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyue Zoey Yang
- Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ronald J Parchem
- Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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2
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Azevedo-Pouly A, Hale MA, Swift GH, Hoang CQ, Deering TG, Xue J, Wilkie TM, Murtaugh LC, MacDonald RJ. Key transcriptional effectors of the pancreatic acinar phenotype and oncogenic transformation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291512. [PMID: 37796967 PMCID: PMC10553828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Proper maintenance of mature cellular phenotypes is essential for stable physiology, suppression of disease states, and resistance to oncogenic transformation. We describe the transcriptional regulatory roles of four key DNA-binding transcription factors (Ptf1a, Nr5a2, Foxa2 and Gata4) that sit at the top of a regulatory hierarchy controlling all aspects of a highly differentiated cell-type-the mature pancreatic acinar cell (PAC). Selective inactivation of Ptf1a, Nr5a2, Foxa2 and Gata4 individually in mouse adult PACs rapidly altered the transcriptome and differentiation status of PACs. The changes most emphatically included transcription of the genes for the secretory digestive enzymes (which conscript more than 90% of acinar cell protein synthesis), a potent anabolic metabolism that provides the energy and materials for protein synthesis, suppressed and properly balanced cellular replication, and susceptibility to transformation by oncogenic KrasG12D. The simultaneous inactivation of Foxa2 and Gata4 caused a greater-than-additive disruption of gene expression and uncovered their collaboration to maintain Ptf1a expression and control PAC replication. A measure of PAC dedifferentiation ranked the effects of the conditional knockouts as Foxa2+Gata4 > Ptf1a > Nr5a2 > Foxa2 > Gata4. Whereas the loss of Ptf1a or Nr5a2 greatly accelerated Kras-mediated transformation of mature acinar cells in vivo, the absence of Foxa2, Gata4, or Foxa2+Gata4 together blocked transformation completely, despite extensive dedifferentiation. A lack of correlation between PAC dedifferentiation and sensitivity to oncogenic KrasG12D negates the simple proposition that the level of differentiation determines acinar cell resistance to transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Azevedo-Pouly
- Department of Molecular Biology and the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Hale
- Department of Molecular Biology and the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Galvin H. Swift
- Department of Molecular Biology and the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Chinh Q. Hoang
- Department of Molecular Biology and the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Tye G. Deering
- Department of Molecular Biology and the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jumin Xue
- Department of Molecular Biology and the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Thomas M. Wilkie
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - L. Charles Murtaugh
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Raymond J. MacDonald
- Department of Molecular Biology and the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
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3
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Pan L, Mulaw MA, Gout J, Guo M, Zarrin H, Schwarz P, Baumann B, Seufferlein T, Wagner M, Oswald F. RBPJ Deficiency Sensitizes Pancreatic Acinar Cells to KRAS-Mediated Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia Initiation. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 16:783-807. [PMID: 37543088 PMCID: PMC10520364 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2023.07.013] [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: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a multistep process intensively studied; however, precocious diagnosis and effective therapy still remain unsatisfactory. The role for Notch signaling in PDAC has been discussed controversially, as both cancer-promoting and cancer-antagonizing functions have been described. Thus, an improved understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms is necessary. Here, we focused on RBPJ, the receiving transcription factor in the Notch pathway, examined its expression pattern in PDAC, and characterized its function in mouse models of pancreatic cancer development and in the regeneration process after acute pancreatitis. METHODS Conditional transgenic mouse models were used for functional analysis of RBPJ in the adult pancreas, initiation of PDAC precursor lesions, and pancreatic regeneration. Pancreata and primary acinar cells were tested for acinar-to-ductal metaplasia together with immunohistology and comprehensive transcriptional profiling by RNA sequencing. RESULTS We identified reduced RBPJ expression in a subset of human PDAC specimens. Ptf1α-CreERT-driven depletion of RBPJ in transgenic mice revealed that its function is dispensable for the homeostasis and maintenance of adult acinar cells. However, primary RBPJ-deficient acinar cells underwent acinar-to-ductal differentiation in ex vivo. Importantly, oncogenic KRAS expression in the context of RBPJ deficiency facilitated the development of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia lesions with massive fibrotic stroma formation. Interestingly, RNA-sequencing data revealed a transcriptional profile associated with the cytokine/chemokine and extracellular matrix changes. In addition, lack of RBPJ delays the course of acute pancreatitis and critically impairs it in the context of KRASG12D expression. CONCLUSIONS Our findings imply that downregulation of RBPJ in PDAC patients derepresses Notch targets and promotes KRAS-mediated pancreatic acinar cells transformation and desmoplasia development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leiling Pan
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Center for Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Medhanie A Mulaw
- Unit for Single-cell Genomics, Medical Faculty, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Johann Gout
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Center for Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Min Guo
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Center for Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Hina Zarrin
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Center for Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Peggy Schwarz
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Center for Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Bernd Baumann
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Thomas Seufferlein
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Center for Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Martin Wagner
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Center for Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Franz Oswald
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Center for Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
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4
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Ragusa D, Dijkhuis L, Pina C, Tosi S. Mechanisms associated with t(7;12) acute myeloid leukaemia: from genetics to potential treatment targets. Biosci Rep 2023; 43:BSR20220489. [PMID: 36622782 PMCID: PMC9894016 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20220489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), typically a disease of elderly adults, affects 8 children per million each year, with the highest paediatric incidence in infants aged 0-2 of 18 per million. Recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities contribute to leukaemia pathogenesis and are an important determinant of leukaemia classification. The t(7;12)(q36;p13) translocation is a high-risk AML subtype exclusively associated with infants and represents the second most common abnormality in this age group. Mechanisms of t(7;12) leukaemogenesis remain poorly understood. The translocation relocates the entire MNX1 gene within the ETV6 locus, but a fusion transcript is present in only half of the patients and its significance is unclear. Instead, research has focused on ectopic MNX1 expression, a defining feature of t(7;12) leukaemia, which has nevertheless failed to produce transformation in conventional disease models. Recently, advances in genome editing technologies have made it possible to recreate the t(7;12) rearrangement at the chromosomal level. Together with recent studies of MNX1 involvement using murine in vivo, in vitro, and organoid-based leukaemia models, specific investigation on the biology of t(7;12) can provide new insights into this AML subtype. In this review, we provide a comprehensive up-to-date analysis of the biological features of t(7;12), and discuss recent advances in mechanistic understanding of the disease which may deliver much-needed therapeutic opportunities to a leukaemia of notoriously poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Ragusa
- College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Division of Biosciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, U.K
- Centre for Genome Engineering and Maintenance (CenGEM), Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, UB8 3PH, U.K
| | - Liza Dijkhuis
- College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Division of Biosciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, U.K
| | - Cristina Pina
- College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Division of Biosciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, U.K
- Centre for Genome Engineering and Maintenance (CenGEM), Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, UB8 3PH, U.K
| | - Sabrina Tosi
- College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Division of Biosciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, U.K
- Centre for Genome Engineering and Maintenance (CenGEM), Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, UB8 3PH, U.K
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5
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Miguel-Escalada I, Maestro MÁ, Balboa D, Elek A, Bernal A, Bernardo E, Grau V, García-Hurtado J, Sebé-Pedrós A, Ferrer J. Pancreas agenesis mutations disrupt a lead enhancer controlling a developmental enhancer cluster. Dev Cell 2022; 57:1922-1936.e9. [PMID: 35998583 PMCID: PMC9426562 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Sequence variants in cis-acting enhancers are important for polygenic disease, but their role in Mendelian disease is poorly understood. Redundancy between enhancers that regulate the same gene is thought to mitigate the pathogenic impact of enhancer mutations. Recent findings, however, have shown that loss-of-function mutations in a single enhancer near PTF1A cause pancreas agenesis and neonatal diabetes. Using mouse and human genetic models, we show that this enhancer activates an entire PTF1A enhancer cluster in early pancreatic multipotent progenitors. This leading role, therefore, precludes functional redundancy. We further demonstrate that transient expression of PTF1A in multipotent progenitors sets in motion an epigenetic cascade that is required for duct and endocrine differentiation. These findings shed insights into the genome regulatory mechanisms that drive pancreas differentiation. Furthermore, they reveal an enhancer that acts as a regulatory master key and is thus vulnerable to pathogenic loss-of-function mutations. The pancreas agenesis enhancer (EnhP) activates PTF1A in early pancreatic progenitors EnhP also activates other progenitor PTF1A enhancers This master key function explains why EnhP is vulnerable to loss-of-function mutations Transient PTF1A expression in progenitors controls pancreas growth and endocrinogenesis
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Miguel-Escalada
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain.
| | - Miguel Ángel Maestro
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - Diego Balboa
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - Anamaria Elek
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Aina Bernal
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - Edgar Bernardo
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - Vanessa Grau
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - Javier García-Hurtado
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - Arnau Sebé-Pedrós
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Jorge Ferrer
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Genetics and Genomics Section, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08003, Spain.
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6
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Li X, He J, Xie K. Molecular signaling in pancreatic ductal metaplasia: emerging biomarkers for detection and intervention of early pancreatic cancer. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2022; 45:201-225. [PMID: 35290607 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-022-00664-x] [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] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal metaplasia (PDM) is the transformation of potentially various types of cells in the pancreas into ductal or ductal-like cells, which eventually replace the existing differentiated somatic cell type(s). PDM is usually triggered by and manifests its ability to adapt to environmental stimuli and genetic insults. The development of PDM to atypical hyperplasia or dysplasia is an important risk factor for pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). Recent studies using genetically engineered mouse models, cell lineage tracing, single-cell sequencing and others have unraveled novel cellular and molecular insights in PDM formation and evolution. Those novel findings help better understand the cellular origins and functional significance of PDM and its regulation at cellular and molecular levels. Given that PDM represents the earliest pathological changes in PDA initiation and development, translational studies are beginning to define PDM-associated cell and molecular biomarkers that can be used to screen and detect early PDA and to enable its effective intervention, thereby truly and significantly reducing the dreadful mortality rate of PDA. This review will describe recent advances in the understanding of PDM biology with a focus on its underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms, and in biomarker discovery with clinical implications for the management of pancreatic regeneration and tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojia Li
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
- Department of Pathology, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie He
- Institute of Digestive Diseases Research, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Keping Xie
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
- Department of Pathology, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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7
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Li S, Xie K. Ductal metaplasia in pancreas. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188698. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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8
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van Roey R, Brabletz T, Stemmler MP, Armstark I. Deregulation of Transcription Factor Networks Driving Cell Plasticity and Metastasis in Pancreatic Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:753456. [PMID: 34888306 PMCID: PMC8650502 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.753456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive disease with 5-year survival rates of less than 10%. The constantly increasing incidence and stagnant patient outcomes despite changes in treatment regimens emphasize the requirement of a better understanding of the disease mechanisms. Challenges in treating pancreatic cancer include diagnosis at already progressed disease states due to the lack of early detection methods, rapid acquisition of therapy resistance, and high metastatic competence. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most prevalent type of pancreatic cancer, frequently shows dominant-active mutations in KRAS and TP53 as well as inactivation of genes involved in differentiation and cell-cycle regulation (e.g. SMAD4 and CDKN2A). Besides somatic mutations, deregulated transcription factor activities strongly contribute to disease progression. Specifically, transcriptional regulatory networks essential for proper lineage specification and differentiation during pancreas development are reactivated or become deregulated in the context of cancer and exacerbate progression towards an aggressive phenotype. This review summarizes the recent literature on transcription factor networks and epigenetic gene regulation that play a crucial role during tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruthger van Roey
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas Brabletz
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Marc P Stemmler
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Isabell Armstark
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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9
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A 3D system to model human pancreas development and its reference single-cell transcriptome atlas identify signaling pathways required for progenitor expansion. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3144. [PMID: 34035279 PMCID: PMC8149728 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23295-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human organogenesis remains relatively unexplored for ethical and practical reasons. Here, we report the establishment of a single-cell transcriptome atlas of the human fetal pancreas between 7 and 10 post-conceptional weeks of development. To interrogate cell–cell interactions, we describe InterCom, an R-Package we developed for identifying receptor–ligand pairs and their downstream effects. We further report the establishment of a human pancreas culture system starting from fetal tissue or human pluripotent stem cells, enabling the long-term maintenance of pancreas progenitors in a minimal, defined medium in three-dimensions. Benchmarking the cells produced in 2-dimensions and those expanded in 3-dimensions to fetal tissue identifies that progenitors expanded in 3-dimensions are transcriptionally closer to the fetal pancreas. We further demonstrate the potential of this system as a screening platform and identify the importance of the EGF and FGF pathways controlling human pancreas progenitor expansion. From single-cell transcriptome analyses to defining culture media for spheroids, the authors provide a census of information to understand the development of human pancreatic progenitors. This approach identifies signalling pathways (EGF and FGF) regulating progenitor proliferation.
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10
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β-Cell specific transcription factors in the context of diabetes mellitus and β-cell regeneration. Mech Dev 2020; 163:103634. [PMID: 32711047 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2020.103634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
All pancreatic cell populations arise from the standard gut endoderm layer in developing embryos, requiring a regulatory gene network to originate and maintain endocrine lineages and endocrine function. The pancreatic organogenesis is regulated by the temporal expression of transcription factors and plays a diverse role in the specification, development, differentiation, maturation, and functional maintenance. Altered expression and activity of these transcription factors are often associated with diabetes mellitus. Recent advancements in the stem cells and invitro derived islets to treat diabetes mellitus has attracted a great deal of interest in the understanding of factors regulating the development, differentiation, and functions of islets including transcription factors. This review discusses the myriad of transcription factors regulating the development of the pancreas, differentiation of β-islets, and how these factors regulated in normal and disease states. Exploring these factors in such critical context and exogenous or endogenous expression of development and differentiation-specific transcription factors with improved epigenetic plasticity/signaling axis in diabetic milieu would useful for the development of β-cells from other cell sources.
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11
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Orchard P, White JS, Thomas PE, Mychalowych A, Kiseleva A, Hensley J, Allen B, Parker SCJ, Keegan CE. Genome-wide chromatin accessibility and transcriptome profiling show minimal epigenome changes and coordinated transcriptional dysregulation of hedgehog signaling in Danforth's short tail mice. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 28:736-750. [PMID: 30380057 PMCID: PMC6381317 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Danforth's short tail (Sd) mice provide an excellent model for investigating the underlying etiology of human caudal birth defects, which affect 1 in 10 000 live births. Sd animals exhibit aberrant axial skeleton, urogenital and gastrointestinal development similar to human caudal malformation syndromes including urorectal septum malformation, caudal regression, vertebral-anal-cardiac-tracheo-esophageal fistula-renal-limb (VACTERL) association and persistent cloaca. Previous studies have shown that the Sd mutation results from an endogenous retroviral (ERV) insertion upstream of the Ptf1a gene resulting in its ectopic expression at E9.5. Though the genetic lesion has been determined, the resulting epigenomic and transcriptomic changes driving the phenotype have not been investigated. Here, we performed ATAC-seq experiments on isolated E9.5 tailbud tissue, which revealed minimal changes in chromatin accessibility in Sd/Sd mutant embryos. Interestingly, chromatin changes were localized to a small interval adjacent to the Sd ERV insertion overlapping a known Ptf1a enhancer region, which is conserved in mice and humans. Furthermore, mRNA-seq experiments revealed increased transcription of Ptf1a target genes and, importantly, downregulation of hedgehog pathway genes. Reduced sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling was confirmed by in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence suggesting that the Sd phenotype results, in part, from downregulated SHH signaling. Taken together, these data demonstrate substantial transcriptome changes in the Sd mouse, and indicate that the effect of the ERV insertion on Ptf1a expression may be mediated by increased chromatin accessibility at a conserved Ptf1a enhancer. We propose that human caudal dysgenesis disorders may result from dysregulation of hedgehog signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Orchard
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - James S White
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Peedikayil E Thomas
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Anna Mychalowych
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Anya Kiseleva
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - John Hensley
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Benjamin Allen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Stephen C J Parker
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Catherine E Keegan
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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12
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Regulation of the Pancreatic Exocrine Differentiation Program and Morphogenesis by Onecut 1/Hnf6. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019; 7:841-856. [PMID: 30831323 PMCID: PMC6476890 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The Onecut 1 transcription factor (Oc1, a.k.a. HNF6) promotes differentiation of endocrine and duct cells of the pancreas; however, it has no known role in acinar cell differentiation. We sought to better understand the role of Oc1 in exocrine pancreas development and to identify its direct transcriptional targets. METHODS Pancreata from Oc1Δpanc (Oc1fl/fl;Pdx1-Cre) mouse embryos and neonates were analyzed morphologically. High-throughput RNA-sequencing was performed on control and Oc1-deficient pancreas; chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing was performed on wild-type embryonic mouse pancreata to identify direct Oc1 transcriptional targets. Immunofluorescence labeling was used to confirm the RNA-sequencing /chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing results and to further investigate the effects of Oc1 loss on acinar cells. RESULTS Loss of Oc1 from the developing pancreatic epithelium resulted in disrupted duct and acinar cell development. RNA-sequencing revealed decreased expression of acinar cell regulatory factors (Nr5a2, Ptf1a, Gata4, Mist1) and functional genes (Amylase, Cpa1, Prss1, Spink1) at embryonic day (e) 18.5 in Oc1Δpanc samples. Approximately 1000 of the altered genes were also identified as direct Oc1 targets by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, including most of the previously noted genes. By immunolabeling, we confirmed that Amylase, Mist1, and GATA4 protein levels are significantly decreased by P2, and Spink1 protein levels were significantly reduced and mislocalized. The pancreatic duct regulatory factors Hnf1β and FoxA2 were also identified as direct Oc1 targets. CONCLUSIONS These findings confirm that Oc1 is an important regulator of both duct and acinar cell development in the embryonic pancreas. Novel transcriptional targets of Oc1 have now been identified and provide clarity into the mechanisms of Oc1 transcriptional regulation in the developing exocrine pancreas. Oc1 can now be included in the gene-regulatory network of acinar cell regulatory genes. Oc1 regulates other acinar cell regulatory factors and acinar cell functional genes directly, and it can also regulate some acinar cell regulatory factors (eg, Mist1) indirectly. Oc1 therefore plays an important role in acinar cell development.
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Jin K, Xiang M. Transcription factor Ptf1a in development, diseases and reprogramming. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:921-940. [PMID: 30470852 PMCID: PMC11105224 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2972-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor Ptf1a is a crucial helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein selectively expressed in the pancreas, retina, spinal cord, brain, and enteric nervous system. Ptf1a is preferably assembled into a transcription trimeric complex PTF1 with an E protein and Rbpj (or Rbpjl). In pancreatic development, Ptf1a is indispensable in controlling the expansion of multipotent progenitor cells as well as the specification and maintenance of the acinar cells. In neural tissues, Ptf1a is transiently expressed in the post-mitotic cells and specifies the inhibitory neuronal cell fates, mostly mediated by downstream genes such as Tfap2a/b and Prdm13. Mutations in the coding and non-coding regulatory sequences resulting in Ptf1a gain- or loss-of-function are associated with genetic diseases such as pancreatic and cerebellar agenesis in the rodent and human. Surprisingly, Ptf1a alone is sufficient to reprogram mouse or human fibroblasts into tripotential neural stem cells. Its pleiotropic functions in many biological processes remain to be deciphered in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangxin Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
| | - Mengqing Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
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14
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Perillo M, Paganos P, Mattiello T, Cocurullo M, Oliveri P, Arnone MI. New Neuronal Subtypes With a "Pre-Pancreatic" Signature in the Sea Urchin Stongylocentrotus purpuratus. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:650. [PMID: 30450080 PMCID: PMC6224346 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons and pancreatic endocrine cells have a common physiology and express a similar toolkit of transcription factors during development. To explain these common features, it has been hypothesized that pancreatic cells most likely co-opted a pre-existing gene regulatory program from ancestral neurons. To test this idea, we looked for neurons with a "pre-pancreatic" program in an early-branched deuterostome, the sea urchin. Only vertebrates have a proper pancreas, however, our lab previously found that cells with a pancreatic-like signature are localized within the sea urchin embryonic gut. We also found that the pancreatic transcription factors Xlox/Pdx1 and Brn1/2/4 co-localize in a sub-population of ectodermal cells. Here, we find that the ectodermal SpLox+ SpBrn1/2/4 cells are specified as SpSoxC and SpPtf1a neuronal precursors that become the lateral ganglion and the apical organ neurons. Two of the SpLox+ SpBrn1/2/4 cells also express another pancreatic transcription factor, the LIM-homeodomain gene islet-1. Moreover, we find that SpLox neurons produce the neuropeptide SpANP2, and that SpLox regulates SpANP2 expression. Taken together, our data reveal that there is a subset of sea urchin larval neurons with a gene program that predated pancreatic cells. These findings suggest that pancreatic endocrine cells co-opted a regulatory signature from an ancestral neuron that was already present in an early-branched deuterostome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Teresa Mattiello
- Centre For Life's Origins and Evolution, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Paola Oliveri
- Centre For Life's Origins and Evolution, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Jakubison BL, Schweickert PG, Moser SE, Yang Y, Gao H, Scully K, Itkin-Ansari P, Liu Y, Konieczny SF. Induced PTF1a expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells activates acinar gene networks, reduces tumorigenic properties, and sensitizes cells to gemcitabine treatment. Mol Oncol 2018; 12:1104-1124. [PMID: 29719936 PMCID: PMC6026875 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic acinar cells synthesize, package, and secrete digestive enzymes into the duodenum to aid in nutrient absorption and meet metabolic demands. When exposed to cellular stresses and insults, acinar cells undergo a dedifferentiation process termed acinar-ductal metaplasia (ADM). ADM lesions with oncogenic mutations eventually give rise to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In healthy pancreata, the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) factors MIST1 and PTF1a coordinate an acinar-specific transcription network that maintains the highly developed differentiation status of the cells, protecting the pancreas from undergoing a transformative process. However, when MIST1 and PTF1a gene expression is silenced, cells are more prone to progress to PDAC. In this study, we tested whether induced MIST1 or PTF1a expression in PDAC cells could (i) re-establish the transcriptional program of differentiated acinar cells and (ii) simultaneously reduce tumor cell properties. As predicted, PTF1a induced gene expression of digestive enzymes and acinar-specific transcription factors, while MIST1 induced gene expression of vesicle trafficking molecules as well as activation of unfolded protein response components, all of which are essential to handle the high protein production load that is characteristic of acinar cells. Importantly, induction of PTF1a in PDAC also influenced cancer-associated properties, leading to a decrease in cell proliferation, cancer stem cell numbers, and repression of key ATP-binding cassette efflux transporters resulting in heightened sensitivity to gemcitabine. Thus, activation of pancreatic bHLH transcription factors rescues the acinar gene program and decreases tumorigenic properties in pancreatic cancer cells, offering unique opportunities to develop novel therapeutic intervention strategies for this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brad L Jakubison
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Patrick G Schweickert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Sarah E Moser
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Yi Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Hongyu Gao
- Laboratory for Computational Genomics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kathleen Scully
- Development and Aging Program, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pamela Itkin-Ansari
- Development and Aging Program, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yunlong Liu
- Laboratory for Computational Genomics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Stephen F Konieczny
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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16
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Petersen MB, Gonçalves CA, Kim YH, Grapin-Botton A. Recapitulating and Deciphering Human Pancreas Development From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells in a Dish. Curr Top Dev Biol 2018; 129:143-190. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2018.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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17
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Vinogradova TV, Sverdlov ED. PDX1: A Unique Pancreatic Master Regulator Constantly Changes Its Functions during Embryonic Development and Progression of Pancreatic Cancer. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2017; 82:887-893. [PMID: 28941456 DOI: 10.1134/s000629791708003x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Multifunctional activity of the PDX1 gene product is reviewed. The PDX1 protein is unique in that being expressed exclusively in the pancreas it exhibits various functional activities in this organ both during embryonic development and during induction and progression of pancreatic cancer. Hence, PDX1 belongs to the family of master regulators with multiple and often antagonistic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- T V Vinogradova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
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18
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Holm I, Spildrejorde M, Stadheim B, Eiklid KL, Samarakoon PS. Whole exome sequencing of sporadic patients with Currarino Syndrome: A report of three trios. Gene 2017; 624:50-55. [PMID: 28456592 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Currarino Syndrome is a rare congenital malformation syndrome described as a triad of anorectal, sacral and presacral anomalies. Currarino Syndrome is reported to be both familial and sporadic. Familial CS is today known as an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the transcription factor MNX1. The aim of this study was to look for genetic causes of Currarino Syndrome in sporadic patients after ruling out other causes, like chromosome aberrations, disease-causing variants in possible MNX1 cooperating transcription factors and aberrant methylation in the promoter of the MNX1 gene. The hypothesis was that MNX1 was affected through interactions with other transcription factors or through other regulatory elements and thereby possibly leading to abnormal function of the gene. We performed whole exome sequencing with an additional 6Mb custom made region on chromosome 7 (GRCh37/hg19, chr7:153.138.664-159.138.663) to detect regulatory elements in non-coding regions around the MNX1 gene. We did not find any variants in genes of interest shared between the patients. However, after analyzing the whole exome sequencing data with Filtus, the in-house SNV filtration program, we did find some interesting variants in possibly relevant genes that could be explaining these patients` phenotypes. The most promising genes were ETV3L, ARID5A and NCAPD3. To our knowledge this is the first report of whole exome sequencing in sporadic CS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingunn Holm
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Mari Spildrejorde
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Barbro Stadheim
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristin L Eiklid
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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19
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Larsen HL, Grapin-Botton A. The molecular and morphogenetic basis of pancreas organogenesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 66:51-68. [PMID: 28089869 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The pancreas is an essential endoderm-derived organ that ensures nutrient metabolism via its endocrine and exocrine functions. Here we review the essential processes governing the embryonic and early postnatal development of the pancreas discussing both the mechanisms and molecules controlling progenitor specification, expansion and differentiation. We elaborate on how these processes are orchestrated in space and coordinated with morphogenesis. We draw mainly from experiments conducted in the mouse model but also from investigations in other model organisms, complementing a recent comprehensive review of human pancreas development (Jennings et al., 2015) [1]. The understanding of pancreas development in model organisms provides a framework to interpret how human mutations lead to neonatal diabetes and may contribute to other forms of diabetes and to guide the production of desired pancreatic cell types from pluripotent stem cells for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hjalte List Larsen
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3 B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Anne Grapin-Botton
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3 B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
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20
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Transcriptional Maintenance of Pancreatic Acinar Identity, Differentiation, and Homeostasis by PTF1A. Mol Cell Biol 2016; 36:3033-3047. [PMID: 27697859 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00358-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintenance of cell type identity is crucial for health, yet little is known of the regulation that sustains the long-term stability of differentiated phenotypes. To investigate the roles that key transcriptional regulators play in adult differentiated cells, we examined the effects of depletion of the developmental master regulator PTF1A on the specialized phenotype of the adult pancreatic acinar cell in vivo Transcriptome sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing results showed that PTF1A maintains the expression of genes for all cellular processes dedicated to the production of the secretory digestive enzymes, a highly attuned surveillance of unfolded proteins, and a heightened unfolded protein response (UPR). Control by PTF1A is direct on target genes and indirect through a ten-member transcription factor network. Depletion of PTF1A causes an imbalance that overwhelms the UPR, induces cellular injury, and provokes acinar metaplasia. Compromised cellular identity occurs by derepression of characteristic stomach genes, some of which are also associated with pancreatic ductal cells. The loss of acinar cell homeostasis, differentiation, and identity is directly relevant to the pathologies of pancreatitis and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
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21
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Grapin-Botton A. Three-dimensional pancreas organogenesis models. Diabetes Obes Metab 2016; 18 Suppl 1:33-40. [PMID: 27615129 PMCID: PMC5021194 DOI: 10.1111/dom.12720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A rediscovery of three-dimensional culture has led to the development of organ biogenesis, homeostasis and disease models applicable to human tissues. The so-called organoids that have recently flourished serve as valuable models bridging between cell lines or primary cells grown on the bottom of culture plates and experiments performed in vivo. Though not recapitulating all aspects of organ physiology, the miniature organs generated in a dish are useful models emerging for the pancreas, starting from embryonic progenitors, adult cells, tumour cells and stem cells. This review focusses on the currently available systems and their relevance to the study of the pancreas, of β-cells and of several pancreatic diseases including diabetes. We discuss the expected future developments for studying human pancreas development and function, for developing diabetes models and for producing therapeutic cells.
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22
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Perillo M, Wang YJ, Leach SD, Arnone MI. A pancreatic exocrine-like cell regulatory circuit operating in the upper stomach of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus larva. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:117. [PMID: 27230062 PMCID: PMC4880809 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0686-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Digestive cells are present in all metazoans and provide the energy necessary for the whole organism. Pancreatic exocrine cells are a unique vertebrate cell type involved in extracellular digestion of a wide range of nutrients. Although the organization and regulation of this cell type is intensively studied in vertebrates, its evolutionary history is still unknown. In order to understand which are the elements that define the pancreatic exocrine phenotype, we have analyzed the expression of genes that contribute to specification and function of this cell-type in an early branching deuterostome, the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Results We defined the spatial and temporal expression of sea urchin orthologs of pancreatic exocrine genes and described a unique population of cells clustered in the upper stomach of the sea urchin embryo where exocrine markers are co-expressed. We used a combination of perturbation analysis, drug and feeding experiments and found that in these cells of the sea urchin embryo gene expression and gene regulatory interactions resemble that of bona fide pancreatic exocrine cells. We show that the sea urchin Ptf1a, a key transcriptional activator of digestive enzymes in pancreatic exocrine cells, can substitute for its vertebrate ortholog in activating downstream genes. Conclusions Collectively, our study is the first to show with molecular tools that defining features of a vertebrate cell-type, the pancreatic exocrine cell, are shared by a non-vertebrate deuterostome. Our results indicate that the functional cell-type unit of the vertebrate pancreas may evolutionarily predate the emergence of the pancreas as a discrete organ. From an evolutionary perspective, these results encourage to further explore the homologs of other vertebrate cell-types in traditional or newly emerging deuterostome systems. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0686-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Perillo
- Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, 80121, Italy.,Present address: Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Yue Julia Wang
- Department of Surgery and the McKusick Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Steven D Leach
- Department of Surgery and the McKusick Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, 80121, Italy.
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23
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Abstract
Lineage tracing studies have revealed that transcription factors play a cardinal role in pancreatic development, differentiation and function. Three transitions define pancreatic organogenesis, differentiation and maturation. In the primary transition, when pancreatic organogenesis is initiated, there is active proliferation of pancreatic progenitor cells. During the secondary transition, defined by differentiation, there is growth, branching, differentiation and pancreatic cell lineage allocation. The tertiary transition is characterized by differentiated pancreatic cells that undergo further remodeling, including apoptosis, replication and neogenesis thereby establishing a mature organ. Transcription factors function at multiple levels and may regulate one another and auto-regulate. The interaction between extrinsic signals from non-pancreatic tissues and intrinsic transcription factors form a complex gene regulatory network ultimately culminating in the different cell lineages and tissue types in the developing pancreas. Mutations in these transcription factors clinically manifest as subtypes of diabetes mellitus. Current treatment for diabetes is not curative and thus, developmental biologists and stem cell researchers are utilizing knowledge of normal pancreatic development to explore novel therapeutic alternatives. This review summarizes current knowledge of transcription factors involved in pancreatic development and β-cell differentiation in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reshmi Dassaye
- a Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa
| | - Strini Naidoo
- a Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa
| | - Marlon E Cerf
- b Diabetes Discovery Platform, South African Medical Research Council , Cape Town , South Africa
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24
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Li XY, Zhai WJ, Teng CB. Notch Signaling in Pancreatic Development. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 17:ijms17010048. [PMID: 26729103 PMCID: PMC4730293 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17010048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Revised: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway plays a significant role in embryonic cell fate determination and adult tissue homeostasis. Various studies have demonstrated the deep involvement of Notch signaling in the development of the pancreas and the lateral inhibition of Notch signaling in pancreatic progenitor differentiation and maintenance. The targeted inactivation of the Notch pathway components promotes premature differentiation of the endocrine pancreas. However, there is still the contrary opinion that Notch signaling specifies the endocrine lineage. Here, we review the current knowledge of the Notch signaling pathway in pancreatic development and its crosstalk with the Wingless and INT-1 (Wnt) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu-Yan Li
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
- College of Life Sciences, Agriculture and Forestry, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006, China.
| | - Wen-Jun Zhai
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
| | - Chun-Bo Teng
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
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25
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Lemaire LA, Goulley J, Kim YH, Carat S, Jacquemin P, Rougemont J, Constam DB, Grapin-Botton A. Bicaudal C1 promotes pancreatic NEUROG3+ endocrine progenitor differentiation and ductal morphogenesis. Development 2015; 142:858-70. [PMID: 25715394 DOI: 10.1242/dev.114611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In human, mutations in bicaudal C1 (BICC1), an RNA binding protein, have been identified in patients with kidney dysplasia. Deletion of Bicc1 in mouse leads to left-right asymmetry randomization and renal cysts. Here, we show that BICC1 is also expressed in both the pancreatic progenitor cells that line the ducts during development, and in the ducts after birth, but not in differentiated endocrine or acinar cells. Genetic inactivation of Bicc1 leads to ductal cell over-proliferation and cyst formation. Transcriptome comparison between WT and Bicc1 KO pancreata, before the phenotype onset, reveals that PKD2 functions downstream of BICC1 in preventing cyst formation in the pancreas. Moreover, the analysis highlights immune cell infiltration and stromal reaction developing early in the pancreas of Bicc1 knockout mice. In addition to these functions in duct morphogenesis, BICC1 regulates NEUROG3(+) endocrine progenitor production. Its deletion leads to a late but sustained endocrine progenitor decrease, resulting in a 50% reduction of endocrine cells. We show that BICC1 functions downstream of ONECUT1 in the pathway controlling both NEUROG3(+) endocrine cell production and ductal morphogenesis, and suggest a new candidate gene for syndromes associating kidney dysplasia with pancreatic disorders, including diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence A Lemaire
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen N DK-2200, Denmark ISREC, Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Joan Goulley
- ISREC, Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Yung Hae Kim
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen N DK-2200, Denmark ISREC, Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Solenne Carat
- BBCF, Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Jacquemin
- de Duve Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels B-1200, Belgium
| | - Jacques Rougemont
- BBCF, Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Daniel B Constam
- ISREC, Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Anne Grapin-Botton
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen N DK-2200, Denmark ISREC, Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
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26
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Gurung N, Grosse G, Draaken M, Hilger AC, Nauman N, Müller A, Gembruch U, Merz WM, Reutter H, Ludwig M. Mutations in PTF1A are not a common cause for human VATER/VACTERL association or neural tube defects mirroring Danforth's short tail mouse. Mol Med Rep 2015; 12:1579-83. [PMID: 25775927 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.3486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Danforth's short tail (Sd) mutant mice exhibit defects of the neural tube and other abnormalities, which are similar to the human vertebral anomalies, anal atresia, cardiac defects, tracheosophageal fistula and/or esophageal atresia, renal and radial abnormalities, and limb defects (VATER/VACTERL) association, including defects of the hindgut. Sd has been shown to underlie ectopic gene expression of murine Ptf1a, which encodes pancreas-specific transcription factor 1A, due to the insertion of a retrotansposon in its 5' regulatory domain. In order to investigate the possible involvement of this gene in human VATER/VACTERL association and human neural tube defects (NTDs), a sequence analysis was performed. DNA samples from 103 patients with VATER/VACTERL and VATER/VACTERL‑like association, all presenting with anorectal malformations, and 72 fetuses with NTDs, where termination of pregnancy had been performed, were included in the current study. The complete PTF1A coding region, splice sites and 1.5 kb of the 5' flanking promotor region was sequenced. However, no pathogenic alterations were detected. The results of the present study do not support the hypothesis that high penetrant mutations in these regions of PTF1A are involved in the development of human VATER/VACTERL association or NTDs, although rare mutations may be detectable in larger patient samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirmala Gurung
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Greta Grosse
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Markus Draaken
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Alina C Hilger
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Nuzhat Nauman
- Department of Pathology, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan
| | - Andreas Müller
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Ulrich Gembruch
- Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Waltraut M Merz
- Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Heiko Reutter
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Michael Ludwig
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
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27
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Draaken M, Knapp M, Pennimpede T, Schmidt JM, Ebert AK, Rösch W, Stein R, Utsch B, Hirsch K, Boemers TM, Mangold E, Heilmann S, Ludwig KU, Jenetzky E, Zwink N, Moebus S, Herrmann BG, Mattheisen M, Nöthen MM, Ludwig M, Reutter H. Genome-wide association study and meta-analysis identify ISL1 as genome-wide significant susceptibility gene for bladder exstrophy. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005024. [PMID: 25763902 PMCID: PMC4357422 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The bladder exstrophy-epispadias complex (BEEC) represents the severe end of the uro-rectal malformation spectrum, and is thought to result from aberrant embryonic morphogenesis of the cloacal membrane and the urorectal septum. The most common form of BEEC is isolated classic bladder exstrophy (CBE). To identify susceptibility loci for CBE, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 110 CBE patients and 1,177 controls of European origin. Here, an association was found with a region of approximately 220kb on chromosome 5q11.1. This region harbors the ISL1 (ISL LIM homeobox 1) gene. Multiple markers in this region showed evidence for association with CBE, including 84 markers with genome-wide significance. We then performed a meta-analysis using data from a previous GWAS by our group of 98 CBE patients and 526 controls of European origin. This meta-analysis also implicated the 5q11.1 locus in CBE risk. A total of 138 markers at this locus reached genome-wide significance in the meta-analysis, and the most significant marker (rs9291768) achieved a P value of 2.13 × 10-12. No other locus in the meta-analysis achieved genome-wide significance. We then performed murine expression analyses to follow up this finding. Here, Isl1 expression was detected in the genital region within the critical time frame for human CBE development. Genital regions with Isl1 expression included the peri-cloacal mesenchyme and the urorectal septum. The present study identified the first genome-wide significant locus for CBE at chromosomal region 5q11.1, and provides strong evidence for the hypothesis that ISL1 is the responsible candidate gene in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Draaken
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Michael Knapp
- Institute of Medical Biometry, Informatics, and Epidemiology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Tracie Pennimpede
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Anne-Karolin Ebert
- Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, University Hospital of Ulm, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Rösch
- Department of Pediatric Urology, St. Hedwig Hospital Barmherzige Brüder, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Raimund Stein
- Department of Urology, Division of Pediatric Urology, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Boris Utsch
- Department of General Pediatrics and Neonatology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Karin Hirsch
- Department of Urology, Division of Paediatric Urology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas M. Boemers
- Department of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Urology, Children’s Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Stefanie Heilmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kerstin U. Ludwig
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ekkehart Jenetzky
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Johannes-Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Nadine Zwink
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Susanne Moebus
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology, University Hospital of Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Bernhard G. Herrmann
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manuel Mattheisen
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Genomic Mathematics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Markus M. Nöthen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Ludwig
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Heiko Reutter
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Willet SG, Hale MA, Grapin-Botton A, Magnuson MA, MacDonald RJ, Wright CVE. Dominant and context-specific control of endodermal organ allocation by Ptf1a. Development 2015; 141:4385-94. [PMID: 25371369 DOI: 10.1242/dev.114165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The timing and gene regulatory logic of organ-fate commitment from within the posterior foregut of the mammalian endoderm is largely unexplored. Transient misexpression of a presumed pancreatic-commitment transcription factor, Ptf1a, in embryonic mouse endoderm (Ptf1a(EDD)) dramatically expanded the pancreatic gene regulatory network within the foregut. Ptf1a(EDD) temporarily suppressed Sox2 broadly over the anterior endoderm. Pancreas-proximal organ territories underwent full tissue conversion. Early-stage Ptf1a(EDD) rapidly expanded the endogenous endodermal Pdx1-positive domain and recruited other pancreas-fate-instructive genes, thereby spatially enlarging the potential for pancreatic multipotency. Early Ptf1a(EDD) converted essentially the entire glandular stomach, rostral duodenum and extrahepatic biliary system to pancreas, with formation of many endocrine cell clusters of the type found in normal islets of Langerhans. Sliding the Ptf1a(EDD) expression window through embryogenesis revealed differential temporal competencies for stomach-pancreas respecification. The response to later-stage Ptf1a(EDD) changed radically towards unipotent, acinar-restricted conversion. We provide strong evidence, beyond previous Ptf1a inactivation or misexpression experiments in frog embryos, for spatiotemporally context-dependent activity of Ptf1a as a potent gain-of-function trigger of pro-pancreatic commitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer G Willet
- Program in Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Nashville, TN 37232, USA Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Michael A Hale
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Anne Grapin-Botton
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen N, DK-2200, Denmark
| | - Mark A Magnuson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Raymond J MacDonald
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Christopher V E Wright
- Program in Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Nashville, TN 37232, USA Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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Hale MA, Swift GH, Hoang CQ, Deering TG, Masui T, Lee YK, Xue J, MacDonald RJ. The nuclear hormone receptor family member NR5A2 controls aspects of multipotent progenitor cell formation and acinar differentiation during pancreatic organogenesis. Development 2014; 141:3123-33. [PMID: 25063451 DOI: 10.1242/dev.109405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The orphan nuclear receptor NR5A2 is necessary for the stem-like properties of the epiblast of the pre-gastrulation embryo and for cellular and physiological homeostasis of endoderm-derived organs postnatally. Using conditional gene inactivation, we show that Nr5a2 also plays crucial regulatory roles during organogenesis. During the formation of the pancreas, Nr5a2 is necessary for the expansion of the nascent pancreatic epithelium, for the subsequent formation of the multipotent progenitor cell (MPC) population that gives rise to pre-acinar cells and bipotent cells with ductal and islet endocrine potential, and for the formation and differentiation of acinar cells. At birth, the NR5A2-deficient pancreas has defects in all three epithelial tissues: a partial loss of endocrine cells, a disrupted ductal tree and a >90% deficit of acini. The acinar defects are due to a combination of fewer MPCs, deficient allocation of those MPCs to pre-acinar fate, disruption of acinar morphogenesis and incomplete acinar cell differentiation. NR5A2 controls these developmental processes directly as well as through regulatory interactions with other pancreatic transcriptional regulators, including PTF1A, MYC, GATA4, FOXA2, RBPJL and MIST1 (BHLHA15). In particular, Nr5a2 and Ptf1a establish mutually reinforcing regulatory interactions and collaborate to control developmentally regulated pancreatic genes by binding to shared transcriptional regulatory regions. At the final stage of acinar cell development, the absence of NR5A2 affects the expression of Ptf1a and its acinar specific partner Rbpjl, so that the few acinar cells that form do not complete differentiation. Nr5a2 controls several temporally distinct stages of pancreatic development that involve regulatory mechanisms relevant to pancreatic oncogenesis and the maintenance of the exocrine phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Hale
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA
| | - Galvin H Swift
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA
| | - Chinh Q Hoang
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA
| | - Tye G Deering
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA
| | - Toshi Masui
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA
| | - Youn-Kyoung Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9041, USA
| | - Jumin Xue
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA
| | - Raymond J MacDonald
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA
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30
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Cano DA, Soria B, Martín F, Rojas A. Transcriptional control of mammalian pancreas organogenesis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:2383-402. [PMID: 24221136 PMCID: PMC11113897 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1510-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Revised: 10/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The field of pancreas development has markedly expanded over the last decade, significantly advancing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control pancreas organogenesis. This growth has been fueled, in part, by the need to generate new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of diabetes. The creation of sophisticated genetic tools in mice has been instrumental in this progress. Genetic manipulation involving activation or inactivation of genes within specific cell types has allowed the identification of many transcription factors (TFs) that play critical roles in the organogenesis of the pancreas. Interestingly, many of these TFs act at multiple stages of pancreatic development, and adult organ function or repair. Interaction with other TFs, extrinsic signals, and epigenetic regulation are among the mechanisms by which TFs may play context-dependent roles during pancreas organogenesis. Many of the pancreatic TFs directly regulate each other and their own expression. These combinatorial interactions generate very specific gene regulatory networks that can define the different cell lineages and types in the developing pancreas. Here, we review recent progress made in understanding the role of pancreatic TFs in mouse pancreas formation. We also summarize our current knowledge of human pancreas development and discuss developmental pancreatic TFs that have been associated with human pancreatic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Cano
- Endocrinology Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Bernat Soria
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER), Avda. Americo Vespucio s/n., Parque Científico Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Seville, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francisco Martín
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER), Avda. Americo Vespucio s/n., Parque Científico Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Seville, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anabel Rojas
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER), Avda. Americo Vespucio s/n., Parque Científico Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Seville, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Barcelona, Spain
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31
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Flandez M, Cendrowski J, Cañamero M, Salas A, del Pozo N, Schoonjans K, Real FX. Nr5a2 heterozygosity sensitises to, and cooperates with, inflammation in KRas(G12V)-driven pancreatic tumourigenesis. Gut 2014; 63:647-55. [PMID: 23598351 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2012-304381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Nr5a2 participates in biliary acid metabolism and is a major regulator of the pancreatic exocrine programme. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the vicinity of NR5A2 are associated with the risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). AIMS To determine the role of Nr5a2 in pancreatic homeostasis, damage-induced regeneration and mutant KRas-driven pancreatic tumourigenesis. DESIGN Nr5a2+/- and KRas(G12V);Ptf1a-Cre;Nr5a2+/- mice were used to investigate whether a full dose of Nr5a2 is required for normal pancreas development, recovery from caerulein-induced pancreatitis, and protection from tumour development. RESULTS Adult Nr5a2+/- mice did not display histological abnormalities in the pancreas but showed a more severe acute pancreatitis, increased acino-ductal metaplasia and impaired recovery from damage. This was accompanied by increased myeloid cell infiltration and proinflammatory cytokine gene expression, and hyperactivation of nuclear factor κb and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signalling pathways. Induction of multiple episodes of acute pancreatitis was associated with more severe damage and delayed regeneration. Inactivation of one Nr5a2 allele selectively in pancreatic epithelial cells was sufficient to cause impaired recovery from pancreatitis. In comparison with Nr5a2+/+ mice, KRas(G12V);Ptf1a(Cre/+);Nr5a2+/- mice showed a non-statistically significant increase in the area affected by preneoplastic lesions. However, a single episode of acute pancreatitis cooperated with loss of one Nr5a2 allele to accelerate KRas(G12V)-driven development of preneoplastic lesions. CONCLUSIONS A full Nr5a2 dose is required to restore pancreatic homeostasis upon damage and to suppress the KRas(G12V)-driven mouse pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia progression, indicating that Nr5a2 is a novel pancreatic tumour suppressor. Nr5a2 could contribute to PDAC through a role in the recovery from pancreatitis-induced damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Flandez
- Epithelial Carcinogenesis Group, Molecular Pathology Programme, CNIO-Spanish National Cancer Research Center, , Madrid, Spain
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32
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Reutter H, Gurung N, Ludwig M. Evidence for annular pancreas as an associated anomaly in the VATER/VACTERL association and investigation of the gene encoding pancreas specific transcription factor 1A as a candidate gene. Am J Med Genet A 2014; 164A:1611-3. [PMID: 24668915 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.36479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heiko Reutter
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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33
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Hanotel J, Bessodes N, Thélie A, Hedderich M, Parain K, Van Driessche B, Brandão KDO, Kricha S, Jorgensen MC, Grapin-Botton A, Serup P, Van Lint C, Perron M, Pieler T, Henningfeld KA, Bellefroid EJ. The Prdm13 histone methyltransferase encoding gene is a Ptf1a-Rbpj downstream target that suppresses glutamatergic and promotes GABAergic neuronal fate in the dorsal neural tube. Dev Biol 2013; 386:340-57. [PMID: 24370451 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2013] [Revised: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcriptional activator Ptf1a determines inhibitory GABAergic over excitatory glutamatergic neuronal cell fate in progenitors of the vertebrate dorsal spinal cord, cerebellum and retina. In an in situ hybridization expression survey of PR domain containing genes encoding putative chromatin-remodeling zinc finger transcription factors in Xenopus embryos, we identified Prdm13 as a histone methyltransferase belonging to the Ptf1a synexpression group. Gain and loss of Ptf1a function analyses in both frog and mice indicates that Prdm13 is positively regulated by Ptf1a and likely constitutes a direct transcriptional target. We also showed that this regulation requires the formation of the Ptf1a-Rbp-j complex. Prdm13 knockdown in Xenopus embryos and in Ptf1a overexpressing ectodermal explants lead to an upregulation of Tlx3/Hox11L2, which specifies a glutamatergic lineage and a reduction of the GABAergic neuronal marker Pax2. It also leads to an upregulation of Prdm13 transcription, suggesting an autonegative regulation. Conversely, in animal caps, Prdm13 blocks the ability of the bHLH factor Neurog2 to activate Tlx3. Additional gain of function experiments in the chick neural tube confirm that Prdm13 suppresses Tlx3(+)/glutamatergic and induces Pax2(+)/GABAergic neuronal fate. Thus, Prdm13 is a novel crucial component of the Ptf1a regulatory pathway that, by modulating the transcriptional activity of bHLH factors such as Neurog2, controls the balance between GABAergic and glutamatergic neuronal fate in the dorsal and caudal part of the vertebrate neural tube.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Hanotel
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Bessodes
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Aurore Thélie
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Marie Hedderich
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University of Goettingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Karine Parain
- UPR CNRS 3294 Neurobiology and Development, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Benoit Van Driessche
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Karina De Oliveira Brandão
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Sadia Kricha
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Mette C Jorgensen
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Anne Grapin-Botton
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Palle Serup
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Carine Van Lint
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Muriel Perron
- UPR CNRS 3294 Neurobiology and Development, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Tomas Pieler
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University of Goettingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Kristine A Henningfeld
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University of Goettingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Eric J Bellefroid
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium.
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Shih HP, Wang A, Sander M. Pancreas organogenesis: from lineage determination to morphogenesis. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2013; 29:81-105. [PMID: 23909279 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-101512-122405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The pancreas is an essential organ for proper nutrient metabolism and has both endocrine and exocrine function. In the past two decades, knowledge of how the pancreas develops during embryogenesis has significantly increased, largely from developmental studies in model organisms. Specifically, the molecular basis of pancreatic lineage decisions and cell differentiation is well studied. Still not well understood are the mechanisms governing three-dimensional morphogenesis of the organ. Strategies to derive transplantable β-cells in vitro for diabetes treatment have benefited from the accumulated knowledge of pancreas development. In this review, we provide an overview of the current understanding of pancreatic lineage determination and organogenesis, and we examine future implications of these findings for treatment of diabetes mellitus through cell replacement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung Ping Shih
- Departments of Pediatrics and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Pediatric Diabetes Research Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695;
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35
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Program specificity for Ptf1a in pancreas versus neural tube development correlates with distinct collaborating cofactors and chromatin accessibility. Mol Cell Biol 2013; 33:3166-79. [PMID: 23754747 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00364-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The lineage-specific basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Ptf1a is a critical driver for development of both the pancreas and nervous system. How one transcription factor controls diverse programs of gene expression is a fundamental question in developmental biology. To uncover molecular strategies for the program-specific functions of Ptf1a, we identified bound genomic regions in vivo during development of both tissues. Most regions bound by Ptf1a are specific to each tissue, lie near genes needed for proper formation of each tissue, and coincide with regions of open chromatin. The specificity of Ptf1a binding is encoded in the DNA surrounding the Ptf1a-bound sites, because these regions are sufficient to direct tissue-restricted reporter expression in transgenic mice. Fox and Sox factors were identified as potential lineage-specific modifiers of Ptf1a binding, since binding motifs for these factors are enriched in Ptf1a-bound regions in pancreas and neural tube, respectively. Of the Fox factors expressed during pancreatic development, Foxa2 plays a major role. Indeed, Ptf1a and Foxa2 colocalize in embryonic pancreatic chromatin and can act synergistically in cell transfection assays. Together, these findings indicate that lineage-specific chromatin landscapes likely constrain the DNA binding of Ptf1a, and they identify Fox and Sox gene families as part of this process.
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36
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Arda HE, Benitez CM, Kim SK. Gene regulatory networks governing pancreas development. Dev Cell 2013; 25:5-13. [PMID: 23597482 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2013.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Elucidation of cellular and gene regulatory networks (GRNs) governing organ development will accelerate progress toward tissue replacement. Here, we have compiled reference GRNs underlying pancreas development from data mining that integrates multiple approaches, including mutant analysis, lineage tracing, cell purification, gene expression and enhancer analysis, and biochemical studies of gene regulation. Using established computational tools, we integrated and represented these networks in frameworks that should enhance understanding of the surging output of genomic-scale genetic and epigenetic studies of pancreas development and diseases such as diabetes and pancreatic cancer. We envision similar approaches would be useful for understanding the development of other organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Efsun Arda
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5329, USA
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37
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Transcription factor gene MNX1 is a novel cause of permanent neonatal diabetes in a consanguineous family. DIABETES & METABOLISM 2013; 39:276-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.diabet.2013.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Revised: 02/15/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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38
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Ejarque M, Cervantes S, Pujadas G, Tutusaus A, Sanchez L, Gasa R. Neurogenin3 cooperates with Foxa2 to autoactivate its own expression. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:11705-17. [PMID: 23471965 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.388173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor Neurogenin3 functions as a master regulator of endocrine pancreas formation, and its deficiency leads to the development of diabetes in humans and mice. In the embryonic pancreas, Neurogenin3 is transiently expressed at high levels for a narrow time window to initiate endocrine differentiation in scattered progenitor cells. The mechanisms controlling these rapid and robust changes in Neurogenin3 expression are poorly understood. In this study, we characterize a Neurogenin3 positive autoregulatory loop whereby this factor may rapidly induce its own levels. We show that Neurogenin3 binds to a conserved upstream fragment of its own gene, inducing deposition of active chromatin marks and the activation of Neurog3 transcription. Additionally, we show that the broadly expressed endodermal forkhead factors Foxa1 and Foxa2 can cooperate synergistically to amplify Neurogenin3 autoregulation in vitro. However, only Foxa2 colocalizes with Neurogenin3 in pancreatic progenitors, thus indicating a primary role for this factor in regulating Neurogenin3 expression in vivo. Furthermore, in addition to decreasing Neurog3 autoregulation, inhibition of Foxa2 by RNA interference attenuates Neurogenin3-dependent activation of the endocrine developmental program in cultured duct mPAC cells. Hence, these data uncover the potential functional cooperation between the endocrine lineage-determining factor Neurogenin3 and the widespread endoderm progenitor factor Foxa2 in the implementation of the endocrine developmental program in the pancreas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Ejarque
- Diabetes and Obesity Laboratory, Institut D'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer-Hospital Clínic, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
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Hunter CS, Dixit S, Cohen T, Ediger B, Wilcox C, Ferreira M, Westphal H, Stein R, May CL. Islet α-, β-, and δ-cell development is controlled by the Ldb1 coregulator, acting primarily with the islet-1 transcription factor. Diabetes 2013; 62. [PMID: 23193182 PMCID: PMC3581213 DOI: 10.2337/db12-0952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Ldb1 and Ldb2 are coregulators that mediate Lin11-Isl1-Mec3 (LIM)-homeodomain (HD) and LIM-only transcription factor-driven gene regulation. Although both Ldb1 and Ldb2 mRNA were produced in the developing and adult pancreas, immunohistochemical analysis illustrated a broad Ldb1 protein expression pattern during early pancreatogenesis, which subsequently became enriched in islet and ductal cells perinatally. The islet-enriched pattern of Ldb1 was similar to pan-endocrine cell-expressed Islet-1 (Isl1), which was demonstrated in this study to be the primary LIM-HD transcription factor in developing and adult islet cells. Endocrine cell-specific removal of Ldb1 during mouse development resulted in a severe reduction of hormone⁺ cell numbers (i.e., α, β, and δ) and overt postnatal hyperglycemia, reminiscent of the phenotype described for the Isl1 conditional mutant. In contrast, neither endocrine cell development nor function was affected in the pancreas of Ldb2(-/-) mice. Gene expression and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analyses demonstrated that many important Isl1-activated genes were coregulated by Ldb1, including MafA, Arx, insulin, and Glp1r. However, some genes (i.e., Hb9 and Glut2) only appeared to be impacted by Ldb1 during development. These findings establish Ldb1 as a critical transcriptional coregulator during islet α-, β-, and δ-cell development through Isl1-dependent and potentially Isl1-independent control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad S. Hunter
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville Tennessee
| | - Shilpy Dixit
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville Tennessee
| | - Tsadok Cohen
- Section on Mammalian Molecular Genetics, Program in Genomics of Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Benjamin Ediger
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Crystal Wilcox
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Mark Ferreira
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Heiner Westphal
- Section on Mammalian Molecular Genetics, Program in Genomics of Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Roland Stein
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville Tennessee
- Corresponding authors: Roland Stein, , and Catherine Lee May,
| | - Catherine Lee May
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Corresponding authors: Roland Stein, , and Catherine Lee May,
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Vlangos CN, Siuniak AN, Robinson D, Chinnaiyan AM, Lyons RH, Cavalcoli JD, Keegan CE. Next-generation sequencing identifies the Danforth's short tail mouse mutation as a retrotransposon insertion affecting Ptf1a expression. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003205. [PMID: 23437000 PMCID: PMC3578742 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2012] [Accepted: 11/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The semidominant Danforth's short tail (Sd) mutation arose spontaneously in the 1920s. The homozygous Sd phenotype includes severe malformations of the axial skeleton with an absent tail, kidney agenesis, anal atresia, and persistent cloaca. The Sd mutant phenotype mirrors features seen in human caudal malformation syndromes including urorectal septum malformation, caudal regression, VACTERL association, and persistent cloaca. The Sd mutation was previously mapped to a 0.9 cM region on mouse chromosome 2qA3. We performed Sanger sequencing of exons and intron/exon boundaries mapping to the Sd critical region and did not identify any mutations. We then performed DNA enrichment/capture followed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the critical genomic region. Standard bioinformatic analysis of paired-end sequence data did not reveal any causative mutations. Interrogation of reads that had been discarded because only a single end mapped correctly to the Sd locus identified an early transposon (ETn) retroviral insertion at the Sd locus, located 12.5 kb upstream of the Ptf1a gene. We show that Ptf1a expression is significantly upregulated in Sd mutant embryos at E9.5. The identification of the Sd mutation will lead to improved understanding of the developmental pathways that are misregulated in human caudal malformation syndromes. Birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States, accounting for 1 in 5 infant deaths annually. Birth defects that affect development of the caudal portion of the embryo can include malformations of the spine, such as spina bifida, and malformations of the kidneys and lower gastrointestinal tract. Little is known regarding the genetic causes of human caudal birth defects. The Danforth's short tail (Sd) mouse shares many similarities with these caudal birth defects that occur in humans. In this manuscript, we used next-generation sequencing to identify the genetic cause of the Sd mouse phenotype. We found that the Sd mutation is a retrotransposon insertion that inappropriately turns on a nearby gene that is normally important for pancreas development. Future studies of Sd mice will help us understand the pathogenesis of caudal birth defects in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher N. Vlangos
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Amanda N. Siuniak
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Dan Robinson
- Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Arul M. Chinnaiyan
- Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Robert H. Lyons
- Biological Chemistry Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- University of Michigan DNA Sequencing Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - James D. Cavalcoli
- Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Catherine E. Keegan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Ectopic expression of Ptf1a induces spinal defects, urogenital defects, and anorectal malformations in Danforth's short tail mice. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003204. [PMID: 23436999 PMCID: PMC3578775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2012] [Accepted: 11/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Danforth's short tail (Sd) is a semidominant mutation on mouse chromosome 2, characterized by spinal defects, urogenital defects, and anorectal malformations. However, the gene responsible for the Sd phenotype was unknown. In this study, we identified the molecular basis of the Sd mutation. By positional cloning, we identified the insertion of an early transposon in the Sd candidate locus approximately 12-kb upstream of Ptf1a. We found that insertion of the transposon caused overexpression of three neighboring genes, Gm13344, Gm13336, and Ptf1a, in Sd mutant embryos and that the Sd phenotype was not caused by disruption of an as-yet-unknown gene in the candidate locus. Using multiple knockout and knock-in mouse models, we demonstrated that misexpression of Ptf1a, but not of Gm13344 or Gm13336, in the notochord, hindgut, cloaca, and mesonephros was sufficient to replicate the Sd phenotype. The ectopic expression of Ptf1a in the caudal embryo resulted in attenuated expression of Cdx2 and its downstream target genes T, Wnt3a, and Cyp26a1; we conclude that this is the molecular basis of the Sd phenotype. Analysis of Sd mutant mice will provide insight into the development of the spinal column, anus, and kidney. Caudal regression syndrome (CRS) is a congenital heterogeneous constellation of caudal anomalies that includes varying degrees of agenesis of the spinal column, anorectal malformations, and genitourinary anomalies. Its pathogenesis is unclear. However, it could be the result of excessive physiologic regression of the embryonic caudal region based on analyses of the various mouse mutants carrying caudal agenesis. Among the mouse mutants, the Danforth's short tail (Sd) mouse is considered a best model for human CRS. Sd is a semidominant mutation, characterized by spinal defects, urogenital defects, and anorectal malformations, thus showing phenotypic similarity to human CRS. Although Sd is known to map to mouse chromosome 2, little is known about the molecular nature of the mutation. Here, we demonstrate an insertion of one type of retrotransposon near the Ptf1a gene. This resulted in ectopic expression of Ptf1a gene in the caudal region of the embryo and downregulation of Cdx2 and its downstream targets, leading to characteristic phenotypes in Sd mouse. Thus, Sd mutant mice will provide insight into the development of the spinal column, anus, and kidney.
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A retrotransposon insertion in the 5' regulatory domain of Ptf1a results in ectopic gene expression and multiple congenital defects in Danforth's short tail mouse. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003206. [PMID: 23437001 PMCID: PMC3578747 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2012] [Accepted: 11/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Danforth's short tail mutant (Sd) mouse, first described in 1930, is a classic spontaneous mutant exhibiting defects of the axial skeleton, hindgut, and urogenital system. We used meiotic mapping in 1,497 segregants to localize the mutation to a 42.8-kb intergenic segment on chromosome 2. Resequencing of this region identified an 8.5-kb early retrotransposon (ETn) insertion within the highly conserved regulatory sequences upstream of Pancreas Specific Transcription Factor, 1a (Ptf1a). This mutation resulted in up to tenfold increased expression of Ptf1a as compared to wild-type embryos at E9.5 but no detectable changes in the expression levels of other neighboring genes. At E9.5, Sd mutants exhibit ectopic Ptf1a expression in embryonic progenitors of every organ that will manifest a developmental defect: the notochord, the hindgut, and the mesonephric ducts. Moreover, at E 8.5, Sd mutant mice exhibit ectopic Ptf1a expression in the lateral plate mesoderm, tail bud mesenchyme, and in the notochord, preceding the onset of visible defects such as notochord degeneration. The Sd heterozygote phenotype was not ameliorated by Ptf1a haploinsufficiency, further suggesting that the developmental defects result from ectopic expression of Ptf1a. These data identify disruption of the spatio-temporal pattern of Ptf1a expression as the unifying mechanism underlying the multiple congenital defects in Danforth's short tail mouse. This striking example of an enhancer mutation resulting in profound developmental defects suggests that disruption of conserved regulatory elements may also contribute to human malformation syndromes. Birth defects are a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. We studied the Danforth's short tail mouse, a classic mouse model of birth defects involving the skeleton, gut, and urinary system. We precisely localized the mutation responsible for these birth defects to a 42.8-kb segment on chromosome 2 and identified the mutation as an 8.5-kb transposon that disrupts highly conserved regulatory sequences upstream of the Pancreas Specific Transcription Factor, 1a (Ptf1a). The insertion disrupts a Ptf1a regulatory domain that is highly conserved across evolution and results in spatiotemporal defects in Ptf1a expression: we detected increased expression, temporally premature expression, and (most important for elucidating the mutant phenotype) the ectopic expression of Ptf1a in the notochord, hindgut, and mesonephros—the three sites that will give rise to organ defects in Danforth's short tail mouse. Our data also provide a striking example of how a noncoding, regulatory mutation can produce transient spatio-temporal dsyregulation of gene expression and result in profound developmental defects, highlighting the critical role of noncoding elements for coordinated gene expression in the vertebrate genome. Finally, these data provide novel insight into the role of Ptf1a in embryogenesis and lay the groundwork for elucidation of novel mechanisms underlying birth defects in humans.
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Rieck S, Bankaitis ED, Wright CVE. Lineage determinants in early endocrine development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2012; 23:673-84. [PMID: 22728667 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2012.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic endocrine cells are produced from a dynamic epithelium in a process that, as in any developing organ, is driven by interacting programs of spatiotemporally regulated intercellular signals and autonomous gene regulatory networks. These algorithms work to push progenitors and their transitional intermediates through a series of railroad-station-like switching decisions to regulate flux along specific differentiation tracks. Extensive research on pancreas organogenesis over the last 20 years, greatly spurred by the potential to restore functional β-cell mass in diabetic patients by transplantation therapy, is advancing our knowledge of how endocrine lineage bias is established and allocation is promoted. The field is working towards the goal of generating a detailed blueprint of how heterogeneous cell populations interact and respond to each other, and other influences such as the extracellular matrix, to move into progressively refined and mature cell states. Here, we highlight how signaling codes and transcriptional networks might determine endocrine lineage within a complex and dynamic architecture, based largely on studies in the mouse. The process begins with the designation of multipotent progenitor cells (MPC) to pancreatic buds that subsequently move through a newly proposed period involving epithelial plexus formation-remodeling, and ends with formation of clustered endocrine islets connected to the vascular and peripheral nervous systems. Developing this knowledge base, and increasing the emphasis on direct comparisons between mouse and human, will yield a more complete and focused picture of pancreas development, and thereby inform β-cell-directed differentiation from human embryonic stem or induced pluripotent stem cells (hESC, iPSC). Additionally, a deeper understanding may provide surprising therapeutic angles by defining conditions that allow the controllable reprogramming of endodermal or pancreatic cell populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Rieck
- Vanderbilt University Program in Developmental Biology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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