title: Genetic determinants of pancreatic epsilon-cell development.
abstract: Recently, the expression of the peptide hormone ghrelin was detected in alpha-cells of the islets of Langerhans as well as in epsilon-cells, a newly discovered endocrine cell type, but it remains unclear how the latter is related in lineage to the four classical islet cell types, alpha-, beta-, delta-, and PP-cells. Here, we provide further evidence that ghrelin is predominantly produced in the alpha-cells of mouse islets but also in single hormone ghrelin-secreting epsilon-cells. We additionally demonstrate that pancreatic epsilon-cells derive from Neurogenin3-expressing precursor cells and their genesis depends on Neurogenin3 activity. Furthermore, our data indicate that the number of ghrelin-producing cells is differentially regulated during pancreas morphogenesis by the homeodomain-containing transcription factors Arx, Pax4, and Pax6. Arx mutants lack ghrelin+ glucagon+ alpha-cells whereas Pax4 mutants develop an excess of these cells. Importantly, the ghrelin+ glucagon- epsilon-cell population is not affected following Arx or Pax4 disruption. In contrast, the loss of Pax6 provokes an unexpected increase of the ghrelin+ glucagon- epsilon-cell number which is not due to increased proliferation. Thus, we demonstrate that the development of ghrelin-producing cells is differentially dependent on Neurogenin3 in different domains of the gastrointestinal tract and that, in the endocrine pancreas, epsilon-cell genesis does not require Arx or Pax4 activities but is antagonized by Pax6.
authors.affiliation: Hagedorn Research Institute, Department of Developmental Biology, DK-2820 Gentofte, Denmark.
authors.forename: R Scott
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jenny
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Collombat
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mansouri
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tomasetto
authors.forename: Ole D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mellitzer
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gradwohl
authors.forename: Palle
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Serup
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D054439:Ghrelin; D005934:Glucagon / Q000378:metabolism*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D054439:Ghrelin; D005934:Glucagon; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C469265:ARX protein, mouse; C407737:Neurog3 protein, mouse; C110218:Pax4 protein, mouse; C000605732:Pax6 protein, mouse