COUP-TFII Controls Mouse Postnatal Pancreatic β-Cell Mass through GLP-1 β-Catenin
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ABSTRACT: ABSTRACT Background: The control of the functional pancreatic b-cell mass serves the key homeostatic function of releasing the right amount of insulin to keep blood sugar in the normal range. It is not fully understood though how b-cell mass is determined. Methodology/principal findings: Conditional chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor II (COUP-TFII)-deficient mice were generated and crossed with mice expressing Cre under the control of pancreatic duodenal homeobox 1 (pdx1) gene promoter. Ablation of COUP-TFII in pancreas resulted in glucose intolerance. Beta-cell number was reduced at 1 day and 3 weeks postnatal. Together with a reduced number of insulin-containing cells in the ductal epithelium and normal b-cell proliferation and apoptosis, this suggests decreased b-cell differentiation in the neonatal period. By testing islets isolated from these mice and cultured b-cells with loss and gain of COUP-TFII function, we found that COUP-TFII induces the expression of the b-catenin gene and its target genes such as cyclin D1 and axin 2. Moreover, induction of these genes by glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) via b-catenin was impaired in absence of COUP-TFII. The expression of two other target genes of GLP-1 signaling, GLP-1R and PDX-1 was significantly lower in mutant islets compared to control islets, possibly contributing to reduced b-cell mass. Finally, we demonstrated that COUP-TFII expression was activated by the Wnt signaling-associated transcription factor TCF7L2 (T-cell factor 7-like 2) in human islets and rat b-cells providing a feedback loop. Conclusions/significance: Our findings show that COUP-TFII is a novel component of the GLP-1 signaling cascade that increases b-cell number during the neonatal period. COUP-TFII is required for GLP-1 activation of the b-catenin-dependent pathwayand its expression is under the control of TCF7L2.
ORGANISM(S): Rattus norvegicus
PROVIDER: GSE30526 | GEO | 2011/10/07
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA143305
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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