title: Expression pattern of IAPP and prohormone convertase 1/3 reveals a distinctive set of endocrine cells in the embryonic pancreas.
abstract: The earliest endocrine cells in the developing pancreas make glucagon and are described as alpha cells. We show here that these cells express islet amyloid polypeptide and prohormone convertase 1/3 (PC1/3), proteins that are not expressed by mature alpha cells, but are found in beta cells. PC1/3 converts proglucagon to the functionally distinct hormones glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 and GLP-2 rather than glucagon. Despite these differences, the early proglucagon-positive cells express, as do mature alpha cells, the POU domain transcription factor Brn-4, and do not express the beta cell factor pdx-1. The early production of atypical peptide hormones by these cells suggests that they could play an important role locally or systemically in the development of the embryo.
authors.affiliation: UCSF Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0534, USA.
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kalamaras
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: German
mesh_terms: D000682:Amyloid / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005934:Glucagon / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D058228:Islet Amyloid Polypeptide; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology*; D045664:Proprotein Convertase 1; D043484:Proprotein Convertases; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D058228:Islet Amyloid Polypeptide; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; C084010:pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 protein; C074067:Pou3f4 protein, mouse; D005934:Glucagon; D043484:Proprotein Convertases; C473656:Pcsk1 protein, mouse; D045664:Proprotein Convertase 1; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases