Pancreatic Beta-cell Development Research Articles

Cell Therapies and Gene Therapy for Diabetes: Current Progress.

The epidemic of diabetes continues to be an increasing problem, and there is a need for new therapeutic strategies. There are several promising drugs and molecules in synthetic medicinal chemistry that are developing for diabetes. In addition to this approach, extensive studies with gene and cell therapies are being conducted. Gene therapy is an existing approach in treating several diseases, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, heart disease and diabetes. Several reports have also suggested that stem cells have the differentiation capability to functional pancreatic beta cell development in vitro and in vivo, with the utility to treat diabetes and prevent the progression of diabetes-related complications. In this current review, we have focused on the different types of cell therapies and vector-based gene therapy in treating or preventing diabetes.

Dysregulated lncRNAs regulate human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into insulin-producing cells by forming a regulatory network with mRNAs

ObjectiveIn recent years, cell therapy has emerged as a new research direction in the treatment of diabetes. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation necessary to form such treatment have not been clarified.MethodsIn this study, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) isolated from newborns were progressively induced into insulin-producing cells (IPCs) using small molecules. HUC-MSC (S0) and four induced stage (S1–S4) samples were prepared. We then performed transcriptome sequencing experiments to obtain the dynamic expression profiles of both mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs).ResultsWe found that the number of differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs trended downwards during differentiation. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that the target genes of differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with translation, cell adhesion, and cell connection. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that the NF-KB signalling pathway, MAPK signalling pathway, HIPPO signalling pathway, PI3K–Akt signalling pathway, and p53 signalling pathway were enriched in these differentially expressed lncRNA-targeting genes. We also found that the coexpression of the lncRNA CTBP1-AS2 with PROX1 and the lncRNAs AC009014.3 and GS1-72M22.1 with JARID2 mRNA was related to the development of pancreatic beta cells. Moreover, the coexpression of the lncRNAs: XLOC_ 050969, LINC00883, XLOC_050981, XLOC_050925, MAP3K14- AS1, RP11-148K1.12, and CTD2020K17.3 with p53, regulated insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells.ConclusionIn this study, HUC-MSCs combined with small molecule compounds were successfully induced into IPCs. Differentially expressed lncRNAs may regulate the insulin secretion of pancreatic beta cells by regulating multiple signalling pathways. The lncRNAs AC009014.3, Gs1-72m21.1, and CTBP1-AS2 may be involved in the development of pancreatic beta cells, and the lncRNAs: XLOC_050969, LINC00883, XLOC_050981, XLOC_050925, MAP3K14-AS1, RP11-148K1.12, and CTD2020K17.3 may be involved in regulating the insulin secretion of pancreatic beta cells, thus providing a lncRNA catalogue for future research regarding the mechanism of the transdifferentiation of HUC-MSCs into IPCs. It also provides a new theoretical basis for the transplantation of insulin-producing cells into diabetic patients in the future.Graphical

A critical review on therapeutic approaches of CRISPR-Cas9 in diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus (D.M.) is a common metabolic disorder caused mainly by combining two primary factors, which are (1) defects in insulin production by the pancreatic β-cells and (2) responsiveness of insulin-sensitive tissues towards insulin. Despite the rapid advancement in medicine to suppress elevated blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) and insulin resistance associated with this hazard, a demand has undoubtedly emerged to find more effective and curative dimensions in therapeutic approaches against D.M. The administration of diabetes treatment that emphasizes insulin production and sensitivity may result in unfavorable side effects, reduced adherence, and potential treatment ineffectiveness. Recent progressions in genome editing technologies, for instance, in zinc-finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR-Cas)-associated nucleases, have greatly influenced the gene editing technology from concepts to clinical practices. Improvements in genome editing technologies have also opened up the possibility to target and modify specific genome sequences in a cell directly. CRISPR/Cas9 has proven effective in utilizing ex vivo gene editing in embryonic stem cells and stem cells derived from patients. This application has facilitated the exploration of pancreatic beta-cell development and function. Furthermore, CRISPR/Cas9 enables the creation of innovative animal models for diabetes and assesses the effectiveness of different therapeutic strategies in treating the condition. We, therefore, present a critical review of the therapeutic approaches of the genome editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 in treating D.M., discussing the challenges and limitations of implementing this technology.

Direct Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mononucleated Cells Into Insulin-Producing Cells Using 4 Specific Soluble Factors.

Bone marrow-derived stem cells are self-renewing and multipotent adult stem cells that differentiate into several types of cells. Here, we investigated a unique combination of 4 differentiation-inducing factors (DIFs), including putrescine (Put), glucosamine (GlcN), nicotinamide, and BP-1-102, to develop a differentiation method for inducing mature insulin-producing cells (IPCs) and apply this method to bone marrow mononucleated cells (BMNCs) isolated from mice. BMNCs, primed with the 4 soluble DIFs, were differentiated into functional IPCs. BMNCs cultured under the defined conditions synergistically expressed multiple genes, including those for PDX1, NKX6.1, MAFA, NEUROG3, GLUT2, and insulin, related to pancreatic beta cell development and function. They produced insulin/C-peptide and PDX1, as assessed using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. The induced cells secreted insulin in a glucose-responsive manner, similar to normal pancreatic beta cells. Grafting BMNC-derived IPCs under kidney capsules of mice with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes alleviated hyperglycemia by lowering blood glucose levels, enhancing glucose tolerance, and improving glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Insulin- and PDX1-expressing cells were observed in the IPC-bearing graft sections of nephrectomized mice. Therefore, this study provides a simple protocol for BMNC differentiation, which can be a novel approach for cell-based therapy in diabetes mellitus.

1764-P: Assessing Gene Expression Profile and Insulin Secretion in Human Beta Cells (EndoC-BH3) under Glucose Exposure

Maternal diabetes is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes in the offspring, and in utero exposure to high glucose has been shown to affect pancreatic beta cell development in animal models. However, the developmental stage and specific genes which underlie these effects in humans are unknown. We aimed to understand the consequences of high glucose on the fetal pancreas by treating a human beta cell line derived from fetal pancreas, EndoC-BH3, with high, medium and normal glucose (30, 15 and 5.5mM respectively) for 3 weeks during proliferation and maturation and comparing gene expression using whole transcriptome analysis. The top differentially expressed transcripts (P<10−4) and the most abundant transcripts (Log2 unit>10.5) were validated by real-time RT-PCR. KEGG analyses of the top 500 differentially expressed transcripts identified the metabolic pathway as the top pathway. Among individual genes, high glucose exposure during the maturation upregulated EGR1 (58.6-fold), BIRC5 (37.6-fold), GPBAR1 (15.4-fold), G6PC2 (11.8-fold), CHRNA (4.8-fold), GCK (2.7-fold), INS (2.0-fold), CMIP (1.9-fold) and CHGA (1.4-fold) as compared to normal glucose exposure. EGR1 encodes early-growth response 1, a transcription factor that enhances insulin gene expression, while BIRC5 encodes an apoptotic inhibitor that plays a role in beta cell proliferation. High glucose exposure during the proliferation identified similar differentially expressed genes; however, the changes were more modest as compared with the maturation. Methylation has also been implicated in conveying risk for diabetes due to glucose exposure and several key DNA demethylation enzymes; TET1, 2, 3, were also moderately upregulated. Assessment of the effects of glucose exposure on insulin secretion and total insulin content is ongoing. Our data suggest that short term exposure to high glucose may stimulate expression of a set of genes that promote beta cell proliferation and insulin expression and secretion. Disclosure Y.L.Muller: None. K.Wiedrich: None. J.Sutherland: Stock/Shareholder; Pfizer Inc., Bristol Myers. D.Jones: None. L.Baier: None.

290-LB: Single-Cell Analysis of Endocrine Development Identifies Novel Roles for GLIS3 in Pancreatic ß-Cell Fate

The Krüppel-like zinc finger transcription factor GLIS3 has been identified as a critical regulator of pancreatic beta cell development and function. Mice lacking a functional Glis3 gene fail to produce enough insulin and suffer from severe hyperglycemia soon after birth. This phenotype matches what has been observed in humans with genetic mutations in GLIS3 and who have been diagnosed with permanent neonatal diabetes within the first month of life. Additional and ongoing work has begun to identify some of the transcriptional mechanisms utilized by GLIS3, yet many questions remain unanswered. One such question is whether GLIS3 has roles in endocrine development prior to the formation of functional β-cells. To address this question, I have utilized single cell RNA-sequencing of mouse embryonic pancreas, at embryonic days (e)15.5 and e18.5, of both wild type (WT) and Glis3 knockout (KO) embryos. Analysis of this data has identified the expected developmental populations, from bipotent progenitor cells to pro-endocrine cells and ultimately hormone positive β-, α-, δ-, and ε-cells. Interestingly, there is little difference in gene expression between the WT and Glis3 KO pancreas in most of the populations observed (pro-endocrine, FEV+, α-/δ-/ε-cells). However, there are significant differences in gene expression between WT β-cells and KO β-cells. Surprisingly, most of the differences are in genes upregulated in the KO cells, with only a small number of genes downregulated. These upregulated genes are normally downregulated over the course of development from FEV+ to β-cells. These data indicate that GLIS3 plays a unique role in developing β-cells in that it primarily represses genes during the course of development but is also critical for the transcriptional activation of specific targets, particularly Ins2. Understanding how GLIS3 regulates β-cell generation, and how GLIS3 itself is regulated, could potentially provide new therapeutic avenues for the treatment of diabetes. Disclosure D. W. Scoville: None. S. Grimm: None. A. M. Jetten: None. Funding National Institutes of Health (Z01-ES-101585)

Gli-similar 3 (GLIS3) rs7020763 (C>G) polymorphism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a heterogeneous group of metabolic disorders characterized by the incapability of pancreatic beta cells to increase insulin secretion to compensate for insulin resistance in the peripheral tissues. T2DM is a multi-factorial disease including several environmental factors with the presence of genetic predisposition. The transcription factor GLI-Similar 3 (GLIS3) has an important role in the development, survival and proliferation of pancreatic beta-cells and insulin gene expression regulation. Accordingly, genome-wide association studies have shown that GLIS3 gene polymorphism may confer risk to type 2 diabetes mellitus T2DM. The present study intended to investigate the association between GLIS3 rs7020673 gene polymorphism and type 2 diabetes mellitus and its impact on glycemic control among Egyptian population. This study was conducted on 100 Egyptian patients diagnosed asT2DM patients and 100 age- and sex-matched non-diabetic normal controls. All subjects underwent full history taking, thorough clinical examination, routine laboratory investigations including fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Detection of rs7020673 polymorphism of GLIS3 gene was done by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and verified by sanger sequencing. Genotype and allele frequencies of rs7020673 did not differ between case and control groups. Regarding the heterozygous mutant genotype (GC), it was statistically less frequently distributed in diabetic patients (53%) versus controls (67%). Therefore, it can be considered as a negative risk factor for T2DM (OR: 0.5098, 95% CI (0.2827-0.9193), (P< 0.05). In conclusion, our study indicated that the GC mutant genotype may be proposed as a negative risk factor for T2DM in Egyptian population.

Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2): a culprit gene in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The genetics of Type 2 diabetes a complex metabolic disorder, characterized by decreased insulin secretion and insulin resistance resulting in impaired blood glucose homeostasis remains enigma for geneticists. In 2006 an important step while finding genetic causes of diabetes type 2 was identification of transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene an important marker in predisposition of type 2 diabetes in almost all ethnic population. Recent genetic research identifies numerous novel type 2 diabetes susceptible genes among these genes TCF7L2 is considered as gang head and emerged as the most promising types 2 diabetes causing gene. Risk variants in TCF7L2 effects pancreatic beta cell development and insulin secretion by influencing Wnt Signaling pathway. Genetic variants in TCF7L2 confer risk for type 2 diabetes by altering expression of transcription factor (which has key role in blood glucose regulation) in pancreas. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate type 2 diabetes susceptible gene the TCF7L2 and to present a comprehensive review of studies carried out worldwide in different ethnic population on association of TCF7L2 polymorphism with type 2 diabetes.

100 YEARS OF INSULIN: A brief history of diabetes genetics: insights for pancreatic beta-cell development and function.

Since the discovery of insulin 100 years ago, our knowledge and understanding of diabetes have grown exponentially. Specifically, with regards to the genetics underlying diabetes risk, our discoveries have paralleled developments in our understanding of the human genome and our ability to study genomics at scale; these advancements in genetics have both accompanied and led to those in diabetes treatment. This review will explore the timeline and history of gene discovery and how this has coincided with progress in the fields of genomics. Examples of genetic causes of monogenic diabetes are presented and the continuing expansion of allelic series in these genes and the challenges these now cause for diagnostic interpretation along with opportunities for patient stratification are discussed.

Фактор транскрипции 7 (TCF7L2): фактор риска развития сахарного диабета 2 типа

The genetics of Type 2 diabetes a complex metabolic disorder, characterized by decreased insulin secretion and insulin resistance resulting in impaired blood glucose homeostasis remains enigma for geneticists. In 2006 an important step while finding genetic causes of diabetes type 2 was identification of transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene an important marker in predisposition of type 2 diabetes in almost all ethnic population. Recent genetic research identifies numerous novel type 2 diabetes susceptible genes among these genes TCF7L2 is considered as gang head and emerged as the most promising types 2 diabetes causing gene. Risk variants in TCF7L2 effects pancreatic beta cell development and insulin secretion by influencing Wnt Signaling pathway. Genetic variants in TCF7L2 confer risk for type 2 diabetes by altering expression of transcription factor (which has key role in blood glucose regulation) in pancreas. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate type 2 diabetes susceptible gene the TCF7L2 and to present a comprehensive review of studies carried out worldwide in different ethnic population on association of TCF7L2 polymorphism with type 2 diabetes.

Genome engineering and disease modeling via programmable nucleases for insulin gene therapy; promises of CRISPR/Cas9 technology.

Targeted genome editing is a continually evolving technology employing programmable nucleases to specifically change, insert, or remove a genomic sequence of interest. These advanced molecular tools include meganucleases, zinc finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases and RNA-guided engineered nucleases (RGENs), which create double-strand breaks at specific target sites in the genome, and repair DNA either by homologous recombination in the presence of donor DNA or via the error-prone non-homologous end-joining mechanism. A recently discovered group of RGENs known as CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing systems allowed precise genome manipulation revealing a causal association between disease genotype and phenotype, without the need for the reengineering of the specific enzyme when targeting different sequences. CRISPR/Cas9 has been successfully employed as an ex vivo gene-editing tool in embryonic stem cells and patient-derived stem cells to understand pancreatic beta-cell development and function. RNA-guided nucleases also open the way for the generation of novel animal models for diabetes and allow testing the efficiency of various therapeutic approaches in diabetes, as summarized and exemplified in this manuscript.

Aberrant development of pancreatic beta cells derived from human iPSCs with FOXA2 deficiency

FOXA2 has been identified as an essential factor for pancreas development and emerging evidence supports an association between FOXA2 and diabetes. Although the role of FOXA2 during pancreatic development is well-studied in animal models, its role during human islet cell development remains unclear. Here, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a patient with FOXA2 haploinsufficiency (FOXA2+/− iPSCs) followed by beta-cell differentiation to understand the role of FOXA2 during pancreatic beta-cell development. Our results showed that FOXA2 haploinsufficiency resulted in aberrant expression of genes essential for the differentiation and proper functioning of beta cells. At pancreatic progenitor (PP2) and endocrine progenitor (EPs) stages, transcriptome analysis showed downregulation in genes associated with pancreatic development and diabetes and upregulation in genes associated with nervous system development and WNT signaling pathway. Knockout of FOXA2 in control iPSCs (FOXA2−/− iPSCs) led to severe phenotypes in EPs and beta-cell stages. The expression of NGN3 and its downstream targets at EPs as well as INSUILIN and GLUCAGON at the beta-cell stage, were almost absent in the cells derived from FOXA2−/− iPSCs. These findings indicate that FOXA2 is crucial for human pancreatic endocrine development and its defect may lead to diabetes based on FOXA2 dosage.

Rfx6 promotes the differentiation of peptide-secreting enteroendocrine cells while repressing genetic programs controlling serotonin production

ObjectiveEnteroendocrine cells (EECs) of the gastro-intestinal tract sense gut luminal factors and release peptide hormones or serotonin (5-HT) to coordinate energy uptake and storage. Our goal is to decipher the gene regulatory networks controlling EECs specification from enteroendocrine progenitors. In this context, we studied the role of the transcription factor Rfx6 which had been identified as the cause of Mitchell–Riley syndrome, characterized by neonatal diabetes and congenital malabsorptive diarrhea. We previously reported that Rfx6 was essential for pancreatic beta cell development and function; however, the role of Rfx6 in EECs differentiation remained to be elucidated. MethodsWe examined the molecular, cellular, and metabolic consequences of constitutive and conditional deletion of Rfx6 in the embryonic and adult mouse intestine. We performed single cell and bulk RNA-Seq to characterize EECs diversity and identify Rfx6-regulated genes. ResultsRfx6 is expressed in the gut endoderm; later, it is turned on in, and restricted to, enteroendocrine progenitors and persists in hormone-positive EECs. In the embryonic intestine, the constitutive lack of Rfx6 leads to gastric heterotopia, suggesting a role in the maintenance of intestinal identity. In the absence of intestinal Rfx6, EECs differentiation is severely impaired both in the embryo and adult. However, the number of serotonin-producing enterochromaffin cells and mucosal 5-HT content are increased. Concomitantly, Neurog3-positive enteroendocrine progenitors accumulate. Combined analysis of single-cell and bulk RNA-Seq data revealed that enteroendocrine progenitors differentiate in two main cell trajectories, the enterochromaffin (EC) cells and the Peptidergic Enteroendocrine (PE) cells, the differentiation programs of which are differentially regulated by Rfx6. Rfx6 operates upstream of Arx, Pax6 and Isl1 to trigger the differentiation of peptidergic EECs such as GIP-, GLP-1-, or CCK-secreting cells. On the contrary, Rfx6 represses Lmx1a and Tph1, two genes essential for serotonin biosynthesis. Finally, we identified transcriptional changes uncovering adaptive responses to the prolonged lack of enteroendocrine hormones and leading to malabsorption and lower food efficiency ratio in Rfx6-deficient mouse intestine. ConclusionThese studies identify Rfx6 as an essential transcriptional regulator of EECs specification and shed light on the molecular mechanisms of intestinal failures in human RFX6-deficiencies such as Mitchell–Riley syndrome.

Screening the RFX6-DNA binding domain for potential genetic variants in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUNDThe regulatory factor X6 (RFX6), a member of regulatory factor X family, is known to play a key role in the development and differentiation of pancreatic beta cells as well as insulin production and secretion. However, the potential role of RFX6 in type 2 diabetes (T2D) is still unclear.AIMRecent studies have indicated that RFX6 binding to DNA could be disrupted in diabetes. Therefore, in this study we investigated whether genetic mutations are present in the DNA binding domain of RFX6 gene that could abrogate its function in T2D.METHODSA cohort of T2D patients was enrolled in this study, and the gene encoding the DNA binding domain of RFX6 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and then analysed by direct DNA sequencing.RESULTSThe DNA sequence analysis revealed the absence of any exonic mutation. However, we have identified a new heterozygous single nucleotide polymorphism (IVS6+31 C>T) in the intronic region of DNA binding domain gene that is present in 9.2% and 8.5% of diabetic and control people, respectively (P = 0.97).CONCLUSIONWe report the absence of any significant genetic variant that could affect the function of RFX6-DNA binding domain in T2D.

Impact of prematurity for pancreatic islet and beta-cell development.

As increasing numbers of babies born preterm survive into adulthood, it is becoming clear that, in addition to the well-described risks of neurodevelopmental sequelae, there also are increased risks for non-communicable diseases, including diabetes. Epidemiological studies indicate that risks are increased even for birth at late preterm and early term gestations and for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Thus, factors related to preterm birth likely affect development of the fetal and neonatal beta-cell in addition to effects on peripheral insulin sensitivity. These factors could operate prior to preterm birth and be related to the underlying cause of preterm birth, to the event of being born preterm itself, to the postnatal care of the preterm neonate or to a combination of these exposures. Experimental evidence indicates that factors may be operating during all these critical periods to contribute to altered development of beta-cell mass in those born preterm. Greater understanding of how these factors impact upon development of the pancreas may lead to interventions or management approaches that mitigate the increased risk of later diabetes.

Calcium Channels in Postnatal Development of Rat Pancreatic Beta Cells and Their Role in Insulin Secretion.

Pancreatic beta cells during the first month of development acquire functional maturity, allowing them to respond to variations in extracellular glucose concentration by secreting insulin. Changes in ionic channel activity are important for this maturation. Within the voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC), the most studied channels are high-voltage-activated (HVA), principally L-type; while low-voltage-activated (LVA) channels have been poorly studied in native beta cells. We analyzed the changes in the expression and activity of VGCC during the postnatal development in rat beta cells. We observed that the percentage of detection of T-type current increased with the stage of development. T-type calcium current density in adult cells was higher than in neonatal and P20 beta cells. Mean HVA current density also increased with age. Calcium current behavior in P20 beta cells was heterogeneous; almost half of the cells had HVA current densities higher than the adult cells, and this was independent of the presence of T-type current. We detected the presence of α1G, α1H, and α1I subunits of LVA channels at all ages. The Cav 3.1 subunit (α1G) was the most expressed. T-type channel blockers mibefradil and TTA-A2 significantly inhibited insulin secretion at 5.6 mM glucose, which suggests a physiological role for T-type channels at basal glucose conditions. Both, nifedipine and TTA-A2, drastically decreased the beta-cell subpopulation that secretes more insulin, in both basal and stimulating glucose conditions. We conclude that changes in expression and activity of VGCC during the development play an important role in physiological maturation of beta cells.

GLIS3 rs7020673 and rs10758593 polymorphisms interact in the susceptibility for type 1 diabetes mellitus.

The transcription factor Gli-similar 3 (GLIS3) plays a key role in the development and maintenance of pancreatic beta cells as well as in the regulation of Insulin gene expression in adults. Accordingly, genome-wide association studies identified GLIS3 as a susceptibility locus for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and glucose metabolism traits. Therefore, the aim of this study was to replicate the association of the rs10758593 and rs7020673 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the GLIS3 gene with T1DM in a Brazilian population. Frequencies of the rs7020673 (G/C) and rs10758593 (A/G) SNPs were analyzed in 503 T1DM patients (cases) and in 442 non-diabetic subjects (controls). Haplotypes constructed from the combination of these SNPs were inferred using a Bayesian statistical method. Genotype and allele frequencies of rs7020673 and rs10758593 SNPs did not differ significantly between case and control groups. However, the frequency of ≥3 minor alleles of the analyzed SNPs in haplotypes was higher in T1DM patients compared to non-diabetic subjects (6.2 vs. 1.6%; P=0.001). The presence of ≥3 minor alleles remained independently associated with risk of T1DM after adjustment for T1DM high-risk HLA DR/DQ haplotypes, age and ethnicity (OR=3.684 95% CI 1.220-11.124). Moreover, levels of glycated hemoglobin seem to be higher in T1DM patients with rs10758593 A/A genotype than patients carrying the G allele of this SNP (P=0.038), although this association was not kept after Bonferroni correction. Our results indicate that individually the rs7020673 and rs10758593 SNPs are not significantly associated with T1DM but seem to interact in the predisposition for this disease.

Critical role of β1 integrin in postnatal beta-cell function and expansion.

β1 integrin is essential for pancreatic beta-cell development and maintenance in rodents and humans. However, the effects of a temporal beta-cell specific β1 integrin knockout on adult islet function are unknown. We utilized a mouse insulin 1 promoter driven tamoxifen-inducible Cre-recombinase β1 integrin knockout mouse model (MIPβ1KO) to investigate β1 integrin function in adult pancreatic beta-cells. Adult male MIPβ1KO mice were significantly glucose intolerant due to impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in vivo and ex vivo at 8 weeks post-tamoxifen. The expression of Insulin and Pancreatic and duodenal homeobox-1 mRNA was significantly reduced in MIPβ1KO islets, along with reductions in insulin exocytotic proteins. Morphological analyses demonstrated that beta-cell mass, islet density, and the number of large-sized islets was significantly reduced in male MIPβ1KO mice. Significant reductions in the phosphorylation of signaling molecules focal adhesion kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2, and v-Akt murine thymoma viral oncogene were observed in male MIPβ1KO islets when compared to controls. MIPβ1KO islets displayed a significant increase in protein levels of the apoptotic marker cleaved-Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and a reduction of the cell cycle marker cyclin D1. Female MIPβ1KO mice did not develop glucose intolerance or reduced beta-cell mass until 16 weeks post-tamoxifen. Glucose intolerance remained in both genders of aged MIPβ1KO mice. This data demonstrates that β1 integrin is required for the maintenance of glucose homeostasis through postnatal beta-cell function and expansion.

Effects of methyl mercury exposure on pancreatic beta cell development and function.

Methyl mercury is an environmental contaminant of worldwide concern. Since the discovery of methyl mercury exposure due to eating contaminated fish as the underlying cause of the Minamata disaster, the scientific community has known about the sensitivity of the developing central nervous system to mercury toxicity. Warnings are given to pregnant women and young children to limit consumption of foods containing methyl mercury to protect the embryonic, fetal and postnatally developing central nervous system. However, evidence also suggests that exposure to methyl mercury or various forms of inorganic mercury may also affect development and function of other organs. Numerous reports indicate a worldwide increase in diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes. Quite recently, methyl mercury has been shown to have adverse effects on pancreatic beta (β) cell development and function, resulting in insulin resistance and hyperglycemia and may even lead to the development of diabetes. This review discusses possible mechanisms by which methyl mercury exposure may adversely affect pancreatic β cell development and function, and the role that methyl mercury exposure may have in the reported worldwide increase in diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes. While additional information is needed regarding associations between mercury exposure and specific mechanisms of the pathogenesis of diabetes in the human population, methyl mercury's adverse effects on the body's natural sources of antioxidants suggest that one possible therapeutic strategy could involve supplementation with antioxidants. Thus, it is important that additional investigation be undertaken into the role of methyl mercury exposure and reduced pancreatic β cell function. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Transcriptome landmarks of the functional maturity of rat beta-cells, from lactation to adulthood.

Research on the postnatal development of pancreatic beta-cells has become an important subject in recent years. Understanding the mechanisms that govern beta-cell postnatal maturation could bring new opportunities to therapeutic approaches for diabetes. The weaning period consists of a critical postnatal window for structural and physiologic maturation of rat beta-cells. To investigate transcriptome changes involved in the maturation of beta-cells neighboring this period, we performed microarray analysis in fluorescence-activated cell-sorted (FACS) beta-cell-enriched populations. Our results showed a variety of gene sets including those involved in the integration of metabolism, modulation of electrical activity, and regulation of the cell cycle that play important roles in the maturation process. These observations were validated using reverse hemolytic plaque assay, electrophysiological recordings, and flow cytometry analysis. Moreover, we suggest some unexplored pathways such as sphingolipid metabolism, insulin-vesicle trafficking, regulation of transcription/transduction by miRNA-30, trafficking proteins, and cell cycle proteins that could play important roles in the process mentioned above for further investigation.