Nestin-positive cells in adult pancreas express amylase and endocrine precursor Cells.
The neural precursor cell-specific marker nestin is expressed in fetal and adult pancreas, but its role is not fully understood. Using nestin-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) transgenic mice and fluorescence activated cell sorter, we characterized nestin-positive cells in adult mice pancreas. EGFP mRNA- and protein-positive cells expressed amylase, a pancreatic exocrine marker. Interestingly, EGFP mRNA-negative and protein-positive cells expressed insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide, pancreatic endocrine markers. These findings demonstrate that nestin-positive cells comprise a portion of pancreatic exocrine cells and suggest that they can be differentiated into pancreatic endocrine cells.
Ueno
Hiroyuki
H
Department of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. hueno@metab.kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Yamada
Yuichiro
Y
Watanabe
Rie
R
Mukai
Eri
E
Hosokawa
Masaya
M
Takahashi
Akira
A
Hamasaki
Akihiro
A
Fujiwara
Hideya
H
Toyokuni
Shinya
S
Yamaguchi
Masahiro
M
Takeda
Jun
J
Seino
Yutaka
Y
D000367:Age Factors; D000681:Amylases / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005934:Glucagon / Q000235:genetics; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007328:Insulin / Q000235:genetics; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D064231:Nestin; D046790:Pancreas, Exocrine / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D010191:Pancreatic Polypeptide / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*
D007328:Insulin; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577485:Nes protein, mouse; D064231:Nestin; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D013004:Somatostatin; D010191:Pancreatic Polypeptide; D005934:Glucagon; D000681:Amylases