title: Role of cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion in pancreatic exocrine-to-endocrine transdifferentiation.
abstract: Although pancreatic exocrine acinar cells have the potential to transdifferentiate into pancreatic endocrine cells, the mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we report that intracellular signaling pathways, including those involving MAPK and phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-kinase, are activated by enzymatic dissociation of pancreatic acinar cells and that spherical cell clusters are formed by cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion during transdifferentiation. Inhibition of PI3-kinase by LY294002 prevents spheroid formation by degrading E-cadherin and beta-catenin, blocking transdifferentiation into insulin-secreting cells. In addition, neutralizing antibody against E-cadherin suppresses the induction of genes characteristic of pancreatic beta-cells. We also show that loss of cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion induces and maintains a dedifferentiated state in isolated pancreatic acinar cells. Thus, disruption and remodeling of cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion is critical in pancreatic exocrine-to-endocrine transdifferentiation, in which the PI3-kinase pathway plays an essential role.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohtaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Hirotoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: Akinori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okumachi
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008954:Models, Biological; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D002867:Chromones; D009025:Morpholines; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases