Expression of long non-coding RNAs in human pancreatic islets
Human pancreatic beta cell death was induced in humanized mice engrafted with functional human islets. Using these humanized mice harboring human islets with induced beta cell death, lncRNA expression through whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing was performed. RNA sequencing analysis of isolated human islets, islet grafts from humanized mice with and without induced cell death, revealed aberrant expression of a distinct set of lncRNAs that are associated with the deregulated mRNAs important for cellular processes and molecular pathways related to beta cell function and survival. Islet-enriched and specific human lncRNAs are deregulated in human islet grafts and cultured human islets with induced cell death.