Project description:Loss of functional beta-cell mass is a hallmark of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and methods for restoring these cells are needed. We have previously reported that overexpression of the homeodomain transcription factor Nkx6.1 in rat pancreatic islets induces beta-cell proliferation and enhances glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, but the pathway by which Nkx6.1 activates beta-cell expansion has not been defined. Here we demonstrate that Nkx6.1 induces expression of the Nr4a1 and Nr4a3 orphan nuclear receptors, and that these factors are both necessary and sufficient for Nkx6.1-mediated beta-cell proliferation. Consistent with this finding, global knockout of Nr4a1 results in a decrease in beta-cell area in neonatal and young mice. Overexpression of Nkx6.1 and the Nr4a receptors results in increased expression of key cell cycle inducers E2F1 and cyclin E1. Furthermore, Nkx6.1 and Nr4a receptors induce components of the anaphase-promoting complex, including Ube2c, resulting in degradation of the cell cycle inhibitor p21CIP1. These studies identify a new bipartite pathway for activation of beta-cell proliferation, suggesting several new targets for expansion of functional beta-cell mass. We set up a microarray using primary rat islets that were left untreated or transduced with adenoviruses overexpressing betagal or Nkx6.1 for 48 h.
Project description:Loss of functional β-cell mass is a hallmark of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and methods for restoring these cells are needed. We have previously reported that overexpression of the homeodomain transcription factor Nkx6.1 in rat pancreatic islets induces β-cell proliferation and enhances glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, but the pathway by which Nkx6.1 activates β-cell expansion has not been defined. Here we demonstrate that Nkx6.1 induces expression of the Nr4a1 and Nr4a3 orphan nuclear receptors, and that these factors are both necessary and sufficient for Nkx6.1-mediated β-cell proliferation. Consistent with this finding, global knockout of Nr4a1 results in a decrease in β-cell area in neonatal and young mice. Overexpression of Nkx6.1 and the Nr4a receptors results in increased expression of key cell cycle inducers E2F1 and cyclin E1. Furthermore, Nkx6.1 and Nr4a receptors induce components of the anaphase-promoting complex, including Ube2c, resulting in degradation of the cell cycle inhibitor p21CIP1. These studies identify a new bipartite pathway for activation of β-cell proliferation, suggesting several new targets for expansion of functional β-cell mass.
Project description:Loss of functional beta-cell mass is a hallmark of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and methods for restoring these cells are needed. Nkx6.1 induces beta-cell proliferation, but the pathway by which Nkx6.1 activates beta-cell expansion has not been defined. Here we demonstrate that Nkx6.1 induces expression of the Nr4a1 and Nr4a3 orphan nuclear receptors, and that these factors are both necessary and sufficient for Nkx6.1-mediated β-cell proliferation. Overexpression of the Nr4a receptors results in increased expression of key cell cycle inducers E2F1 and cyclin E1. Furthermore, Nr4a receptors induce components of the anaphase-promoting complex, including Ube2c. We set up a microarray using primary rat islets that were left untreated or transduced with adenoviruses overexpressing GFP, Nr4a1 or Nr4a3 for 48 h.
Project description:Loss of functional β-cell mass is a hallmark of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and methods for restoring these cells are needed. Nkx6.1 induces β-cell proliferation, but the pathway by which Nkx6.1 activates β-cell expansion has not been defined. Here we demonstrate that Nkx6.1 induces expression of the Nr4a1 and Nr4a3 orphan nuclear receptors, and that these factors are both necessary and sufficient for Nkx6.1-mediated β-cell proliferation. Overexpression of the Nr4a receptors results in increased expression of key cell cycle inducers E2F1 and cyclin E1. Furthermore, Nr4a receptors induce components of the anaphase-promoting complex, including Ube2c.
Project description:The homeodomain transcription factor Nkx6.1 plays an important role in pancreatic islet β-cell development, but its effects on adult β-cell function, survival, and proliferation are not well understood. In the present study, we demonstrated that treatment of primary rat pancreatic islets with a cytomegalovirus promoter-driven recombinant adenovirus containing the Nkx6.1 cDNA (AdCMV-Nkx6.1) causes dramatic increases in [methyl-3H] thymidine and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and in the number of cells per islet relative to islets treated with a control adenovirus (AdCMV-βGAL), whereas suppression of Nkx6.1 expression reduces thymidine incorporation. Immunocytochemical studies reveal that >80% of BrdU-positive cells in AdCMV-Nkx6.1-treated islets are β cells. Microarray, real-time PCR, and immunoblot analyses reveal that overexpression of Nkx6.1 in rat islets causes concerted upregulation of a cadre of cell cycle control genes, including those encoding cyclins A, B, and E, and several regulatory kinases. Cyclin E is upregulated earlier than the other cyclins, and adenovirus-mediated overexpression of cyclin E is shown to be sufficient to activate islet cell proliferation. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrate direct interaction of Nkx6.1 with the cyclin A2 and B1 genes. Overexpression of Nkx6.1 in rat islets caused a clear enhancement of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), whereas overexpression of Nkx6.1 in human islets caused an increase in the level of [3H]thymidine incorporation that was twice the control level, along with complete retention of GSIS. We conclude that Nkx6.1 is among the very rare factors capable of stimulating β-cell replication with retention or enhancement of function, properties that may be exploitable for expansion of β-cell mass in treatment of both major forms of diabetes. Keywords: Insulin secretion, islet biology, transcription factor, cell cycle regulation, diabetes
Project description:The homeodomain transcription factor, Pdx-1, has important roles in pancreatic development and β-cell function and survival. In the present study, we demonstrate that adenovirus-mediated overexpression of Pdx-1 in rat or human islets also stimulates cell replication. Moreover, co-overexpression of Pdx-1 with another homeodomain transcription factor, Nkx6.1, has an additive effect on proliferation compared to either factor alone, implying discrete activating mechanisms. Consistent with this, Nkx6.1 stimulates mainly β-cell proliferation, whereas Pdx-1 stimulates both α- and β-cell proliferation. Furthermore, cyclins D1/D2 are upregulated by Pdx-1 but not by Nkx6.1, and inhibition of cdk4 blocks Pdx-1- but not Nkx6.1-stimulated islet cell proliferation. Genes regulated by Pdx-1 and not Nkx6.1 were identified by microarray analysis. Two members of the transient receptor potential cation (TRPC) channel family, TRPC3 and TRPC6, are upregulated by Pdx-1 overexpression, and siRNA-mediated knockdown of TRPC3/6 or TRPC6 alone inhibits Pdx-1-induced but not Nkx6.1-induced islet cell proliferation. Pdx-1 also stimulates ERK1/2 phosphorylation, an effect partially blocked by knockdown of TRPC3/6, and blockade of ERK1/2 activation with a MEK1/2 inhibitor partially impairs Pdx-1-stimulated proliferation. These studies define a pathway by which overexpression of Pdx-1 activates islet cell proliferation that is distinct from and additive to a pathway activated by Nkx6.1. We identified genes that were upregulated or downregulated at 48 h with Pdx-1 overexpression as compared to untreated and βgal controls.
Project description:Deterioration of functional islet β-cell mass is the final step in progression to Type 2 diabetes. We previously reported that overexpression of Nkx6.1 in rat islets has the dual effects of enhancing glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and increasing β-cell replication. Here we show that Nkx6.1 strongly upregulates the prohormone VGF in rat islets and that VGF is both necessary and sufficient for Nkx6.1-mediated enhancement of GSIS. Moreover, the VGF-derived peptide TLQP-21 potentiates GSIS in rat and human islets and improves glucose tolerance in vivo. Chronic injection of TLQP-21 in pre-diabetic ZDF rats preserves islet mass and slows diabetes onset. TLQP-21 prevents islet cell apoptosis by a pathway similar to that used by GLP-1, but independent of the GLP-1, GIP, or VIP receptors. Unlike GLP-1, TLQP-21 does not inhibit gastric emptying or increase heart rate. We conclude that a TLQP-21 is a novel agent for enhancing islet β-cell survival and function.
Project description:Deterioration of functional islet β-cell mass is the final step in progression to Type 2 diabetes. We previously reported that overexpression of Nkx6.1 in rat islets has the dual effects of enhancing glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and increasing β-cell replication. Here we show that Nkx6.1 strongly upregulates the prohormone VGF in rat islets and that VGF is both necessary and sufficient for Nkx6.1-mediated enhancement of GSIS. Moreover, the VGF-derived peptide TLQP-21 potentiates GSIS in rat and human islets and improves glucose tolerance in vivo. Chronic injection of TLQP-21 in pre-diabetic ZDF rats preserves islet mass and slows diabetes onset. TLQP-21 prevents islet cell apoptosis by a pathway similar to that used by GLP-1, but independent of the GLP-1, GIP, or VIP receptors. Unlike GLP-1, TLQP-21 does not inhibit gastric emptying or increase heart rate. We conclude that a TLQP-21 is a novel agent for enhancing islet β-cell survival and function. We utilized a “sample x reference” experimental design strategy in which RNA extracted from rat pancreatic islets was hybridized to the microarray slide in the presence of labeled rat reference RNA (RRR, Stratagene, LaJolla, CA). Cultures were treated with adenoviruses expressing either the hamster form of Nkx6.1, the mouse form of Pdx1, or the beta-galactosidase enzyme. 3-5 biological replicates each representing independent islet isolations were used for microarray analysis. Briefly, five hundred nanograms of total RNA were used for gene expression profiling following reverse transcription and T-7 polymerase-mediated amplification/labeling with Cyanine-5. Labeled subject cRNA was co-hybridized to Operon rat 27K oligonucleotide arrays with equimolar amounts of Cyanine-3 labeled RRR. Slides were hybridized, washed, and scanned on a Gene Pix 5000 microarray scanner.
Project description:The homeodomain transcription factor Nkx6.1 plays an important role in pancreatic islet β-cell development, but its effects on adult β-cell function, survival, and proliferation are not well understood. In the present study, we demonstrated that treatment of primary rat pancreatic islets with a cytomegalovirus promoter-driven recombinant adenovirus containing the Nkx6.1 cDNA (AdCMV-Nkx6.1) causes dramatic increases in [methyl-3H] thymidine and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and in the number of cells per islet relative to islets treated with a control adenovirus (AdCMV-βGAL), whereas suppression of Nkx6.1 expression reduces thymidine incorporation. Immunocytochemical studies reveal that >80% of BrdU-positive cells in AdCMV-Nkx6.1-treated islets are β cells. Microarray, real-time PCR, and immunoblot analyses reveal that overexpression of Nkx6.1 in rat islets causes concerted upregulation of a cadre of cell cycle control genes, including those encoding cyclins A, B, and E, and several regulatory kinases. Cyclin E is upregulated earlier than the other cyclins, and adenovirus-mediated overexpression of cyclin E is shown to be sufficient to activate islet cell proliferation. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrate direct interaction of Nkx6.1 with the cyclin A2 and B1 genes. Overexpression of Nkx6.1 in rat islets caused a clear enhancement of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), whereas overexpression of Nkx6.1 in human islets caused an increase in the level of [3H]thymidine incorporation that was twice the control level, along with complete retention of GSIS. We conclude that Nkx6.1 is among the very rare factors capable of stimulating β-cell replication with retention or enhancement of function, properties that may be exploitable for expansion of β-cell mass in treatment of both major forms of diabetes. Keywords: Insulin secretion, islet biology, transcription factor, cell cycle regulation, diabetes We utilized a âsample x referenceâ experimental design strategy in which RNA extracted from rat pancreatic islets was hybridized to the microarray slide in the presence of labeled rat reference RNA (RRR, Stratagene, LaJolla, CA). Cultures were treated with adenoviruses expressing either the hamster form of Nkx6.1 or the beta-galactosidase enzyme. 5 biological replicates each representing independent islet isolations were used for microarray analysis. Briefly, five hundred nanograms of total RNA were used for gene expression profiling following reverse transcription and T-7 polymerase-mediated amplification/labeling with Cyanine-5. Labeled subject cRNA was co-hybridized to Operon rat 27K oligonucleotide arrays with equimolar amounts of Cyanine-3 labeled RRR. Slides were hybridized, washed, and scanned on a Gene Pix 5000 microarray scanner.
Project description:An unlimited source of functional human pancreatic β cells are in highly demand. Even with recent advances in pancreatic β-like cell differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), several hurdles obviously remain and the differentiation protocols need to be further improved. Chemical strategies are particularly useful to address these challenges. Here, through chemical screening, we unexpectedly identified that BET bromodomain inhibitor I-BET151 could robustly promote the expansion of PDX1 and NKX6.1 double-positive human pancreatic progenitors (PPs). These hPSC-derived expandable pancreatic progenitors (ePPs) can proliferate extensively in a chemically defined condition with I-BET151. Even after long-term expansion, these ePPs maintain pancreatic progenitor cell status. In addition, ePPs can efficiently differentiate into pancreatic β-like cells (ePP-β cells). These ePP-β cells are functional and demonstrate glucose-stimulation insulin-secretion (GSIS) capacity. Mechanistically, I-BET151 can activate Notch signaling and promote the expression of key pancreatic progenitor-associated genes and transcriptional network. Conclusively, our studies achieve the long-term goal of robust expansion of human pancreatic progenitors and represent a significant step towards unlimited supplies of functional human pancreatic β cells that are of great interest for biomedical research and regenerative medicine.