title: The homeodomain protein IPF-1/STF-1 is expressed in a subset of islet cells and promotes rat insulin 1 gene expression dependent on an intact E1 helix-loop-helix factor binding site.
abstract: The mouse homeodomain protein insulin promoter factor-1 (IPF-1) and the rat homologue somatostatin transactivating factor-1 (STF-1) are involved in early pancreatic development and have been implicated in the cell-specific regulation of insulin- and somatostatin-gene expression in mature islet beta- and delta-cells. The cell specificity of IPF-1/STF-1 expression in mature islets is, however, still unclear. Using antisera against recombinant IPF-1 and STF-1 in combination with antisera against islet hormones we find that all beta-cells in monolayers of newborn rat islet cells express STF-1, as do a fraction of the delta-cells. In adult rat and mouse pancreas we find a similar distribution. IPF-1/STF-1 expression was not detected in glucagon-producing alpha-cells. In islet cell tumour models we found that a glucagon/islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP)-producing pluripotent rat islet cell line (NHI-6F-GLU) expresses STF-1 in all cells prior to insulin gene activation induced by in vivo culture. In contrast, a mouse alpha-cell line (alpha TC1) exclusively expressed IPF-1 in a small subset of insulin-producing cells while an insulin-negative subclone (alpha TC1.9) was negative for IPF-1. In transfection experiments using alpha TC1.9 cells STF-1 activated a rat insulin 1 reporter gene dependent not only on both STF-1-binding sites, but also on the E1-binding site for the helix-loop-helix factor IEF-1. However, the endogenous mouse insulin genes remained inactive in these cells. These results suggest that the insulin promoter acquires its very high, yet cell-specific, activity at least partly through the action of IPF-1/STF-1. This action is dependent on helix-loop-helix factors bound to the E1 element.
authors.affiliation: Hagedorn Research Institute, Gentofte, Denmark.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Serup
authors.forename: H V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Edlund
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: O D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Madsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001665:Binding Sites; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; C084010:pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 protein