title: Pdx-1 or Pdx-1-VP16 protein transduction induces beta-cell gene expression in liver-stem WB cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (Pdx-1) or Pdx-1-VP16 gene transfer has been shown to induce in vitro rat liver-stem WB cell conversion into pancreatic endocrine precursor cells. High glucose conditions were necessary for further differentiation into functional insulin-producing cells. Pdx-1 has the ability to permeate different cell types due to an inherent protein transduction domain (PTD). In this study, we evaluated liver-to-pancreas conversion of WB cells following Pdx-1 or Pdx-1-VP16 protein transduction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  WB cells were grown in high glucose medium containing Pdx-1 or Pdx-1-VP16 recombinant proteins for two weeks. beta-like cell commitment was analysed by RT-PCR of pancreatic endocrine genes. We found that WB cells in high glucose culture spontaneously express pancreatic endocrine genes (Pdx-1, Ngn3, Nkx2.2, Kir6.2). Their further differentiation into beta-like cells expressing genes related to endocrine pancreas development (Ngn3, NeuroD, Pax4, Nkx2.2, Nkx6.1, Pdx-1) and beta-cell function (Glut-2, Kir6.2, insulin) was achieved only in the presence of Pdx-1(-VP16) protein.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that Pdx-1(-VP16) protein transduction is instrumental for in vitro liver-to-pancreas conversion and is an alternative to gene therapy for beta-cell engineering for diabetes cell therapy.
authors.affiliation: UMR 707 IECM ENVN, F-44307 Nantes, France. cuvelier@vet-nantes.fr
authors.forename: Juliette Cuvelier
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Delisle
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martignat
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dubreil
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saï
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Louzier
authors.forename: Steffi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bösch