title: Pleiotropic Roles of PDX-1 in the Pancreas.
abstract: It is well known that pancreatic and duodenal homeobox factor-1 (PDX-1) plays a pleiotropic role in the pancreas. In the developing pancreas, PDX-1 is involved in both pancreas formation and beta-cell differentiation. In mature beta-cells, PDX-1 transactivates insulin and other beta-cell-related genes such as GLUT2 and glucokinase. Furthermore, PDX-1 plays an important role in the induction of insulin-producing cells in various non-beta-cells and is thereby a possible therapeutic target for diabetes. On the other hand, under diabetic conditions, expression and/or activity of PDX-1 in beta-cells is reduced, which leads to suppression of insulin biosynthesis and secretion. It is likely that PDX-1 inactivation explains, at least in part, the molecular mechanism for beta-cell glucose toxicity found in diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics (A8), Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaneto
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyatsuka
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kawamori
authors.forename: Taka-Aki
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Matsuoka