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Pancreatic and intestinal endocrine cells share common transcriptomic signatures and gene regulatory networks

ABSTRACT: Background: Endocrine cells of the digestive system, including the pancreatic endocrine cells (PECs) clustered in the islets of Langerhans and the enteroendocrine cells (EECs) scattered in the intestinal epithelium, play an important role in metabolism. Although EECs and PECs are located in distinct organs, they share many features and several common genes control their differentiation. In this study, we investigated comprehensively the similarity of EECs and PECs by defining their transcriptomic landscape and comparing the regulatory networks controlled by pax6b, a key player in both EECs and PECs. Results: RNA-sequencing was performed on EECs and PECs isolated from wild-type and pax6b mutant zebrafish. Data mining of wild-type zebrafish EEC data confirmed the expression of orthologs for most known mammalian EEC hormones but also revealed the expression of three additional neuropeptide hormones (Proenkephalin-a, Calcitonin-a and Adcyap1a) not yet reported to be expressed by EECs in any species. Comparison of transcriptomes from EECs, PECs and other zebrafish tissues highlights a very close similarity between EECs and PECs, with more than 70 % of genes being expressed in both endocrine cell types. Comparison of Pax6b-regulated genes in EECs and PECs revealed a significant overlap. pax6b loss-of-function does not affect the total number of EECs and PECs but instead disrupts the balance between cell subtypes, leading to an increase of ghrelin- and motilin-like expressing cells in both the intestine and pancreas at the expense of other endocrine cells such as beta- and delta-cells in the pancreas and pyyb-expressing cells in the intestine. Finally, we show that the homeodomain of Pax6b is dispensable for its action in both EECs and PECs. Conclusion: This study highlights the close relatedness of EECs and PECs at the transcriptomic and regulatory levels, supporting the hypothesis of a common phylogenetic origin and underscoring the potential implication of EECs in metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.

ORGANISM(S): Danio rerio

PROVIDER: GSE149081 | GEO | 2020/08/01

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Objective: Enteroendocrine cells (EECs) survey the gut luminal environment and co-ordinate hormonal, immune and neuronal responses to it. They exhibit well characterized physiological roles ranging from the control of local gut function to whole body metabolism, but little is known regarding the regulatory networks controlling their differentiation, especially in human gut. The small molecule Isoxazole-9 (ISX-9) has been shown to stimulate neuronal and pancreatic beta-cell differentiation, both closely related to EEC differentiation. Our aim was to use ISX-9 as a tool to explore EEC differentiation. Methods: We investigated the effects of ISX-9 on EEC differentiation in mouse and human intestinal organoids, using real time quantitative PCR, fluorescent activated cell sorting, immunostaining and single cell RNA sequencing. Results: ISX-9 increased the number of neurogenin3 (Ngn3) positive endocrine progenitor cells and upregulated NeuroD1 and Pax4, transcription factors which play roles in mouse EEC specification. Single cell analysis revealed induction of Pax4 expression in a developmentally late Ngn3+ population of cells and potentiation of genes associated with progenitors biased towards serotonin-producing enterochromaffin (EC) cells. This coincided with enrichment of organoids with functional EC cells which was partly dependent on stimulation of calcium signalling in a population of cells residing outside the crypt base. Inducible Pax4 overexpression, in ileal organoids, uncovered its importance as a component of early human endocrine specification and highlighted the potential existence of two major endocrine lineages, the early appearing enterochromaffin lineage and the later developing peptidergic lineage which contains classical gut hormone cell types. Conclusion: Our data provide proof-of-concept for the controlled manipulation of specific endocrine lineages with small molecules, whilst also shedding new light on human EEC differentiation and its similarity to mouse. Given their diverse roles, understanding endocrine lineage plasticity and its control could have multiple therapeutic implications.

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Pancreatic and intestinal endocrine cells share common transcriptomic signatures and gene regulatory networks

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