title: Tissue-specific transcription factor HNF4alpha inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in the pancreatic INS-1 beta-cell line.
abstract: Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF4alpha) is a tissue-specific transcription factor expressed in many cell types, including pancreatic beta-cells. Mutations in the HNF4alpha gene in humans give rise to maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY1) characterized by defective insulin secretion by beta-cells. To elucidate the mechanism underlying this disease, we introduced the splice form HNF4alpha2 or HNF4alpha8 into the rat beta-cell line INS-1. Upon tetracycline-induced expression, both HNF4alpha isoforms caused distinct changes in cell morphology and a massive loss of cell numbers that was correlated with reduced proliferation and induced apoptosis. This differential activity was reflected in oligonucleotide microarray analysis that identified more genes affected by HNF4alpha2 compared to HNF4alpha8, and suggests that both isoforms regulate largely the same set of genes, with HNF4alpha2 being a stronger transactivator. We verified the induction of selected transcripts by real-time RT-PCR, including KAI1 and AIF, both known to have apoptotic potential. By establishing cell lines with inducible expression of these target genes, we deduce that both factors are insufficient to induce apoptosis. We propose that the anti-proliferative and apoptotic properties of HNF4alpha may be an essential feature impaired in MODY1 and possibly also in type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Essen, Institut für Zellbiologie, D-45122 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erdmann
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Senkel
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arndt
authors.forename: Belén
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lausen
authors.forename: Ludger
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klein-Hitpass
authors.forename: Gerhart U
authors.initials: GU
authors.lastname: Ryffel
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053179:Caspase 7 / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7; D013752:Tetracycline