title: Role of transcription factors in the transdifferentiation of pancreatic islet cells.
abstract: The α and β cells act in concert to maintain blood glucose. The α cells release glucagon in response to low levels of glucose to stimulate glycogenolysis in the liver. In contrast, β cells release insulin in response to elevated levels of glucose to stimulate peripheral glucose disposal. Despite these opposing roles in glucose homeostasis, α and β cells are derived from a common progenitor and share many proteins important for glucose sensing and hormone secretion. Results from recent work have underlined these similarities between the two cell types by revealing that β-to-α as well as α-to-β transdifferentiation can take place under certain experimental circumstances. These exciting findings highlight unexpected plasticity of adult islets and offer hope of novel therapeutic paths to replenish β cells in diabetes. In this review, we focus on the transcription factor networks that establish and maintain pancreatic endocrine cell identity and how they may be perturbed to facilitate transdifferentiation.
authors: Department of NeurobiologyPhysiology and Behavior, College of Biological SciencesDepartment of Physiology and Membrane BiologySchool of Medicine, University of California, 193 Briggs Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, USA.
authors: Talitha
authors: T
authors: van der Meulen
authors: Department of NeurobiologyPhysiology and Behavior, College of Biological SciencesDepartment of Physiology and Membrane BiologySchool of Medicine, University of California, 193 Briggs Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, USA Department of NeurobiologyPhysiology and Behavior, College of Biological SciencesDepartment of Physiology and Membrane BiologySchool of Medicine, University of California, 193 Briggs Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, USA mhuising@ucdavis.edu.
authors: Mark O
authors: MO
authors: Huising
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D050416:Glucagon-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090322:Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.2; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000090322:Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.2; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C000715631:NKX2-2 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: ARX; FOXO1; NKX2-2; PAX4; PDX1; dedifferentiation; diabetes; transdifferentiation; α cell; β cell