1
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Dahiya S, Saleh M, Rodriguez UA, Rajasundaram D, R Arbujas J, Hajihassani A, Yang K, Sehrawat A, Kalsi R, Yoshida S, Prasadan K, Lickert H, Hu J, Piganelli JD, Gittes GK, Esni F. Acinar to β-like cell conversion through inhibition of focal adhesion kinase. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3740. [PMID: 38702347 PMCID: PMC11068907 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47972-4] [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: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Insufficient functional β-cell mass causes diabetes; however, an effective cell replacement therapy for curing diabetes is currently not available. Reprogramming of acinar cells toward functional insulin-producing cells would offer an abundant and autologous source of insulin-producing cells. Our lineage tracing studies along with transcriptomic characterization demonstrate that treatment of adult mice with a small molecule that specifically inhibits kinase activity of focal adhesion kinase results in trans-differentiation of a subset of peri-islet acinar cells into insulin producing β-like cells. The acinar-derived insulin-producing cells infiltrate the pre-existing endocrine islets, partially restore β-cell mass, and significantly improve glucose homeostasis in diabetic mice. These findings provide evidence that inhibition of the kinase activity of focal adhesion kinase can convert acinar cells into insulin-producing cells and could offer a promising strategy for treating diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakti Dahiya
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Mohamed Saleh
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Uylissa A Rodriguez
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dhivyaa Rajasundaram
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jorge R Arbujas
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Arian Hajihassani
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kaiyuan Yang
- Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Anuradha Sehrawat
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ranjeet Kalsi
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shiho Yoshida
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Krishna Prasadan
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Heiko Lickert
- Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jing Hu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jon D Piganelli
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - George K Gittes
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Farzad Esni
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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2
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Darrigrand JF, Salowka A, Torres-Cano A, Tapia-Rojo R, Zhu T, Garcia-Manyes S, Spagnoli FM. Acinar-ductal cell rearrangement drives branching morphogenesis of the murine pancreas in an IGF/PI3K-dependent manner. Dev Cell 2024; 59:326-338.e5. [PMID: 38237591 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
During organ formation, progenitor cells need to acquire different cell identities and organize themselves into distinct structural units. How these processes are coordinated and how tissue architecture(s) is preserved despite the dramatic cell rearrangements occurring in developing organs remain unclear. Here, we identified cellular rearrangements between acinar and ductal progenitors as a mechanism to drive branching morphogenesis in the pancreas while preserving the integrity of the acinar-ductal functional unit. Using ex vivo and in vivo mouse models, we found that pancreatic ductal cells form clefts by protruding and pulling on the acinar basement membrane, which leads to acini splitting. Newly formed acini remain connected to the bifurcated branches generated by ductal cell rearrangement. Insulin growth factor (IGF)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway finely regulates this process by controlling pancreatic ductal tissue fluidity, with a simultaneous impact on branching and cell fate acquisition. Together, our results explain how acinar structure multiplication and branch bifurcation are synchronized during pancreas organogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Francois Darrigrand
- Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, London, Great Maze Pond, SE1 9RT London, UK
| | - Anna Salowka
- Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, London, Great Maze Pond, SE1 9RT London, UK
| | - Alejo Torres-Cano
- Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, London, Great Maze Pond, SE1 9RT London, UK
| | - Rafael Tapia-Rojo
- Department of Physics, London Centre for Nanotechnology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tong Zhu
- Department of Physics, Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Centre for the Physical Science of Life and London Centre for Nanotechnology, King's College London, London, UK; Single-Molecule Mechanobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Sergi Garcia-Manyes
- Department of Physics, Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Centre for the Physical Science of Life and London Centre for Nanotechnology, King's College London, London, UK; Single-Molecule Mechanobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Francesca M Spagnoli
- Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, London, Great Maze Pond, SE1 9RT London, UK.
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3
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Bohuslavova R, Fabriciova V, Smolik O, Lebrón-Mora L, Abaffy P, Benesova S, Zucha D, Valihrach L, Berkova Z, Saudek F, Pavlinkova G. NEUROD1 reinforces endocrine cell fate acquisition in pancreatic development. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5554. [PMID: 37689751 PMCID: PMC10492842 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41306-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023] Open
Abstract
NEUROD1 is a transcription factor that helps maintain a mature phenotype of pancreatic β cells. Disruption of Neurod1 during pancreatic development causes severe neonatal diabetes; however, the exact role of NEUROD1 in the differentiation programs of endocrine cells is unknown. Here, we report a crucial role of the NEUROD1 regulatory network in endocrine lineage commitment and differentiation. Mechanistically, transcriptome and chromatin landscape analyses demonstrate that Neurod1 inactivation triggers a downregulation of endocrine differentiation transcription factors and upregulation of non-endocrine genes within the Neurod1-deficient endocrine cell population, disturbing endocrine identity acquisition. Neurod1 deficiency altered the H3K27me3 histone modification pattern in promoter regions of differentially expressed genes, which resulted in gene regulatory network changes in the differentiation pathway of endocrine cells, compromising endocrine cell potential, differentiation, and functional properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romana Bohuslavova
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenetics, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Valeria Fabriciova
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenetics, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Ondrej Smolik
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenetics, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Laura Lebrón-Mora
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenetics, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Pavel Abaffy
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Sarka Benesova
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Daniel Zucha
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Lukas Valihrach
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Zuzana Berkova
- Diabetes Centre, Experimental Medicine Centre, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 14021, Prague, Czechia
| | - Frantisek Saudek
- Diabetes Centre, Experimental Medicine Centre, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 14021, Prague, Czechia
| | - Gabriela Pavlinkova
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenetics, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia.
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4
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Ma Z, Zhang X, Zhong W, Yi H, Chen X, Zhao Y, Ma Y, Song E, Xu T. Deciphering early human pancreas development at the single-cell level. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5354. [PMID: 37660175 PMCID: PMC10475098 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40893-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding pancreas development can provide clues for better treatments of pancreatic diseases. However, the molecular heterogeneity and developmental trajectory of the early human pancreas are poorly explored. Here, we performed large-scale single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell assay for transposase accessible chromatin sequencing of human embryonic pancreas tissue obtained from first-trimester embryos. We unraveled the molecular heterogeneity, developmental trajectories and regulatory networks of the major cell types. The results reveal that dorsal pancreatic multipotent cells in humans exhibit different gene expression patterns than ventral multipotent cells. Pancreato-biliary progenitors that generate ventral multipotent cells in humans were identified. Notch and MAPK signals from mesenchymal cells regulate the differentiation of multipotent cells into trunk and duct cells. Notably, we identified endocrine progenitor subclusters with different differentiation potentials. Although the developmental trajectories are largely conserved between humans and mice, some distinct gene expression patterns have also been identified. Overall, we provide a comprehensive landscape of early human pancreas development to understand its lineage transitions and molecular complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Ma
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaofei Zhang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Reproductive Medicine and Genetic Research, Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Diseases Research and Translation (Hainan Medical University), Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
| | - Wen Zhong
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV), Linköping University, Linköping, 581 83, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hongyan Yi
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Reproductive Medicine and Genetic Research, Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Diseases Research and Translation (Hainan Medical University), Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
| | - Xiaowei Chen
- Center for High Throughput Sequencing, Core Facility for Protein Research, Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yinsuo Zhao
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yanlin Ma
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Reproductive Medicine and Genetic Research, Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Diseases Research and Translation (Hainan Medical University), Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China.
| | - Eli Song
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Tao Xu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, 510005, China.
- Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250013, China.
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250062, China.
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5
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Bohuslavova R, Fabriciova V, Lebrón-Mora L, Malfatti J, Smolik O, Valihrach L, Benesova S, Zucha D, Berkova Z, Saudek F, Evans SM, Pavlinkova G. ISL1 controls pancreatic alpha cell fate and beta cell maturation. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:53. [PMID: 36899442 PMCID: PMC9999528 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01003-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glucose homeostasis is dependent on functional pancreatic α and ß cells. The mechanisms underlying the generation and maturation of these endocrine cells remain unclear. RESULTS We unravel the molecular mode of action of ISL1 in controlling α cell fate and the formation of functional ß cells in the pancreas. By combining transgenic mouse models, transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling, we uncover that elimination of Isl1 results in a diabetic phenotype with a complete loss of α cells, disrupted pancreatic islet architecture, downregulation of key ß-cell regulators and maturation markers of ß cells, and an enrichment in an intermediate endocrine progenitor transcriptomic profile. CONCLUSIONS Mechanistically, apart from the altered transcriptome of pancreatic endocrine cells, Isl1 elimination results in altered silencing H3K27me3 histone modifications in the promoter regions of genes that are essential for endocrine cell differentiation. Our results thus show that ISL1 transcriptionally and epigenetically controls α cell fate competence, and ß cell maturation, suggesting that ISL1 is a critical component for generating functional α and ß cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romana Bohuslavova
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenetics, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia.
| | - Valeria Fabriciova
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenetics, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Laura Lebrón-Mora
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenetics, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Jessica Malfatti
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenetics, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Ondrej Smolik
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenetics, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Lukas Valihrach
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Sarka Benesova
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Daniel Zucha
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Zuzana Berkova
- Laboratory of Pancreatic Islets, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 14021, Prague, Czechia
| | - Frantisek Saudek
- Laboratory of Pancreatic Islets, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 14021, Prague, Czechia
| | - Sylvia M Evans
- Department of Pharmacology; Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gabriela Pavlinkova
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenetics, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 25250, Vestec, Czechia.
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6
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van Gurp L, Fodoulian L, Oropeza D, Furuyama K, Bru-Tari E, Vu AN, Kaddis JS, Rodríguez I, Thorel F, Herrera PL. Generation of human islet cell type-specific identity genesets. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2020. [PMID: 35440614 PMCID: PMC9019032 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29588-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Generation of surrogate cells with stable functional identities is crucial for developing cell-based therapies. Efforts to produce insulin-secreting replacement cells to treat diabetes require reliable tools to assess islet cellular identity. Here, we conduct a thorough single-cell transcriptomics meta-analysis to identify robustly expressed markers used to build genesets describing the identity of human α-, β-, γ- and δ-cells. These genesets define islet cellular identities better than previously published genesets. We show their efficacy to outline cell identity changes and unravel some of their underlying genetic mechanisms, whether during embryonic pancreas development or in experimental setups aiming at developing glucose-responsive insulin-secreting cells, such as pluripotent stem-cell differentiation or in adult islet cell reprogramming protocols. These islet cell type-specific genesets represent valuable tools that accurately benchmark gain and loss in islet cell identity traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léon van Gurp
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Leon Fodoulian
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Oropeza
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Kenichiro Furuyama
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara, Sakyo, 606-8507, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Eva Bru-Tari
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anh Nguyet Vu
- Department of Diabetes & Cancer Discovery Science, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, 1500 E Duarte Rd, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - John S Kaddis
- Department of Diabetes & Cancer Discovery Science, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, 1500 E Duarte Rd, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Iván Rodríguez
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Fabrizio Thorel
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pedro L Herrera
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland.
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7
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Burgos JI, Vallier L, Rodríguez-Seguí SA. Monogenic Diabetes Modeling: In Vitro Pancreatic Differentiation From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Gains Momentum. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:692596. [PMID: 34295307 PMCID: PMC8290520 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.692596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of diabetes mellitus is characterized by pancreatic β cell loss and chronic hyperglycemia. While Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are the most common types, rarer forms involve mutations affecting a single gene. This characteristic has made monogenic diabetes an interesting disease group to model in vitro using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). By altering the genotype of the original hPSCs or by deriving human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) from patients with monogenic diabetes, changes in the outcome of the in vitro differentiation protocol can be analyzed in detail to infer the regulatory mechanisms affected by the disease-associated genes. This approach has been so far applied to a diversity of genes/diseases and uncovered new mechanisms. The focus of the present review is to discuss the latest findings obtained by modeling monogenic diabetes using hPSC-derived pancreatic cells generated in vitro. We will specifically focus on the interpretation of these studies, the advantages and limitations of the models used, and the future perspectives for improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Ignacio Burgos
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires and Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ludovic Vallier
- Wellcome-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Santiago A. Rodríguez-Seguí
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires and Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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8
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Szlachcic WJ, Ziojla N, Kizewska DK, Kempa M, Borowiak M. Endocrine Pancreas Development and Dysfunction Through the Lens of Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:629212. [PMID: 33996792 PMCID: PMC8116659 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.629212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A chronic inability to maintain blood glucose homeostasis leads to diabetes, which can damage multiple organs. The pancreatic islets regulate blood glucose levels through the coordinated action of islet cell-secreted hormones, with the insulin released by β-cells playing a crucial role in this process. Diabetes is caused by insufficient insulin secretion due to β-cell loss, or a pancreatic dysfunction. The restoration of a functional β-cell mass might, therefore, offer a cure. To this end, major efforts are underway to generate human β-cells de novo, in vitro, or in vivo. The efficient generation of functional β-cells requires a comprehensive knowledge of pancreas development, including the mechanisms driving cell fate decisions or endocrine cell maturation. Rapid progress in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) technologies has brought a new dimension to pancreas development research. These methods can capture the transcriptomes of thousands of individual cells, including rare cell types, subtypes, and transient states. With such massive datasets, it is possible to infer the developmental trajectories of cell transitions and gene regulatory pathways. Here, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of endocrine pancreas development and function from scRNA-Seq studies on developing and adult pancreas and human endocrine differentiation models. We also discuss recent scRNA-Seq findings for the pathological pancreas in diabetes, and their implications for better treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech J. Szlachcic
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Natalia Ziojla
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Dorota K. Kizewska
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Marcelina Kempa
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Borowiak
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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9
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Sequential progenitor states mark the generation of pancreatic endocrine lineages in mice and humans. Cell Res 2021; 31:886-903. [PMID: 33692492 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-021-00486-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The pancreatic islet contains multiple hormone+ endocrine lineages (α, β, δ, PP and ε cells), but the developmental processes that underlie endocrinogenesis are poorly understood. Here, we generated novel mouse lines and combined them with various genetic tools to enrich all types of hormone+ cells for well-based deep single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), and gene coexpression networks were extracted from the generated data for the optimization of high-throughput droplet-based scRNA-seq analyses. These analyses defined an entire endocrinogenesis pathway in which different states of endocrine progenitor (EP) cells sequentially differentiate into specific endocrine lineages in mice. Subpopulations of the EP cells at the final stage (EP4early and EP4late) show different potentials for distinct endocrine lineages. ε cells and an intermediate cell population were identified as distinct progenitors that independently generate both α and PP cells. Single-cell analyses were also performed to delineate the human pancreatic endocrinogenesis process. Although the developmental trajectory of pancreatic lineages is generally conserved between humans and mice, clear interspecies differences, including differences in the proportions of cell types and the regulatory networks associated with the differentiation of specific lineages, have been detected. Our findings support a model in which sequential transient progenitor cell states determine the differentiation of multiple cell lineages and provide a blueprint for directing the generation of pancreatic islets in vitro.
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10
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Weng C, Xi J, Li H, Cui J, Gu A, Lai S, Leskov K, Ke L, Jin F, Li Y. Single-cell lineage analysis reveals extensive multimodal transcriptional control during directed beta-cell differentiation. Nat Metab 2020; 2:1443-1458. [PMID: 33257854 PMCID: PMC7744443 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-020-00314-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The in vitro differentiation of insulin-producing beta-like cells can model aspects of human pancreatic development. Here, we generate 95,308 single-cell transcriptomes and reconstruct a lineage tree of the entire differentiation process from human embryonic stem cells to beta-like cells to study temporally regulated genes during differentiation. We identify so-called 'switch genes' at the branch point of endocrine/non-endocrine cell fate choice, revealing insights into the mechanisms of differentiation-promoting reagents, such as NOTCH and ROCKII inhibitors, and providing improved differentiation protocols. Over 20% of all detectable genes are activated multiple times during differentiation, even though their enhancer activation is usually unimodal, indicating extensive gene reuse driven by different enhancers. We also identify a stage-specific enhancer at the TCF7L2 locus for diabetes, uncovered by genome-wide association studies, that drives a transient wave of gene expression in pancreatic progenitors. Finally, we develop a web app to visualize gene expression on the lineage tree, providing a comprehensive single-cell data resource for researchers studying islet biology and diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Weng
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- The Biomedical Sciences Training Program (BSTP), School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jiajia Xi
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Haiyan Li
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jian Cui
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Anniya Gu
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Sisi Lai
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- The Biomedical Sciences Training Program (BSTP), School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Konstantin Leskov
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Luxin Ke
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Master of Science in Biology Program, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Fulai Jin
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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11
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Yu XX, Xu CR. Understanding generation and regeneration of pancreatic β cells from a single-cell perspective. Development 2020; 147:147/7/dev179051. [PMID: 32280064 DOI: 10.1242/dev.179051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms that underlie the generation and regeneration of β cells is crucial for developing treatments for diabetes. However, traditional research methods, which are based on populations of cells, have limitations for defining the precise processes of β-cell differentiation and trans-differentiation, and the associated regulatory mechanisms. The recent development of single-cell technologies has enabled re-examination of these processes at a single-cell resolution to uncover intermediate cell states, cellular heterogeneity and molecular trajectories of cell fate specification. Here, we review recent advances in understanding β-cell generation and regeneration, in vivo and in vitro, from single-cell technologies, which could provide insights for optimization of diabetes therapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Xin Yu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, College of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Cheng-Ran Xu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, College of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
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12
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Klein AM, Treutlein B. Single cell analyses of development in the modern era. Development 2019; 146:146/12/dev181396. [PMID: 31249004 DOI: 10.1242/dev.181396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Allon M Klein
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Barbara Treutlein
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
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