title: Brn-4 transcription factor expression targeted to the early developing mouse pancreas induces ectopic glucagon gene expression in insulin-producing beta cells.
abstract: The endocrine pancreas is comprised of beta and alpha cells producing the glucostatic hormones insulin and glucagon, respectively, and arises during development by the differentiation of stem/progenitor cells in the foregut programmed by the beta cell lineage-specific homeodomain protein Idx-1. Brain-4 (Brn-4) is expressed in the pancreatic anlaga of the mouse foregut at e10 in the alpha cells and transactivates glucagon gene expression. We expressed Brn-4 in pancreatic precursors or beta cell lineage in transgenic mice by placing it under either Idx-1 or insulin promoter (rat insulin II promoter) control, respectively. Idx-1 expression occurs at developmental day e8.5, and insulin expression occurs at e9.5, respectively. Misexpression of Brn-4 by the Idx-1 promoter results in ectopic expression of the proglucagon gene in insulin-expressing pancreatic beta cells, whereas misexpression by rat insulin II promoter did not. The early developmental expression of Brn-4 appears to be a dominant regulator of the glucagon expressing alpha cell lineage, even in the context of the beta cell lineage.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA>
authors.forename: Mehboob A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Joel F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Habener
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D005934:Glucagon / Q000235:genetics*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000235:genetics; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000196:embryology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; C000605732:Pax6 protein, mouse; C000605733:Pax6 protein, rat; C484088:Pou3f4 protein, rat; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C074067:Pou3f4 protein, mouse; D005934:Glucagon