Project description:Adaptation of the islet β-cell insulin secretory response to changing insulin demand is critical for blood glucose homeostasis, yet the mechanisms underlying this adaptation are unknown. Here, we show that nutrient cues adapt insulin secretion by modulating chromatin state and transcription of genes regulating β-cell nutrient sensing and metabolism. Feeding stimulates histone acetylation at sites occupied by the chromatin-modifying enzyme Lsd1 in islets. We demonstrate that β-cell-specific deletion of Lsd1 leads to insulin hypersecretion, aberrant expression of nutrient response genes, and histone hyperacetylation, features we also observed in the db/db model of chronically increased insulin demand. Moreover, genetic variants associated with fasting glucose levels and type 2 diabetes risk are enriched at LSD1-bound sites in human islets, suggesting interindividual variation in β-cell functional adaptation in humans. These findings reveal nutrient state-dependent modulation of the islet epigenome and identify Lsd1 as a regulator of feeding-stimulated chromatin modification and adaptive insulin secretion.
Project description:Adaptation of the islet β cell insulin-secretory response to changing insulin demand is critical for blood glucose homeostasis, yet the mechanisms underlying this adaptation are unknown. Here, we have shown that nutrient-stimulated histone acetylation plays a key role in adapting insulin secretion through regulation of genes involved in β cell nutrient sensing and metabolism. Nutrient regulation of the epigenome occurred at sites occupied by the chromatin-modifying enzyme lysine-specific demethylase 1 (Lsd1) in islets. β Cell-specific deletion of Lsd1 led to insulin hypersecretion, aberrant expression of nutrient-response genes, and histone hyperacetylation. Islets from mice adapted to chronically increased insulin demand exhibited shared epigenetic and transcriptional changes. Moreover, we found that genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes were enriched at LSD1-bound sites in human islets, suggesting that interpretation of nutrient signals is genetically determined and clinically relevant. Overall, these studies revealed that adaptive insulin secretion involves Lsd1-mediated coupling of nutrient state to regulation of the islet epigenome.
Project description:Dll4-Notch signaling is required for cell fate decisions and neoplasias. However, emerging evidence suggests a role for Dll4-Notch signaling in metabolic and immune diseases. To date, there is no evidence of a direct effect of Dll4-Notch signaling inhibition on pancreatic islet function and insulin secretion.
Project description:The activity of pancreatic islets’ insulin-producing β-cells is closely regulated by systemic cues and, locally, by adjacent islet hormone-producing “non-β-cells” (namely α-, δ- and γ-cells). Still, it is unclear whether the presence of the non-β-cells is a requirement for accurate insulin secretion. Here, we generated and studied a mouse model in which adult islets are exclusively composed of β-cells, and human pseudoislets containing only primary β-cells. Mice lacking non-β-cells had optimal blood glucose regulation. They exhibited enhanced glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and restricted body weight gain under high-fat diet. The insulin secretion dynamics in islets composed of only β-cells was like in intact islets, both in homeostatic conditions and upon extreme insulin demand. Similarly, human β-cell pseudoislets retained the glucose-regulated mitochondrial respiration, insulin secretion and exendin-4 responses of human islets comprising all four cell types. Together, the findings indicate that non-β-cells are dispensable for blood glucose homeostasis and β-cell function. This is particularly relevant in diabetes, where non-β-cells become dysfunctional and worsen the disease’s pathophysiology. These results support efforts aimed at developing diabetes treatments by generating β-like cell clusters devoid of non-β-cells, as for example from human embryonic stem cells and/or by in situ conversion of non-β-cells into insulin producers.
Project description:Insulin secreted by pancreatic β cells is essential for maintaining the level of blood glucose. Diabetes is mainly caused by the loss of β cells or impaired β cell function. The previous study performed a whole transcriptome analysis on the islets of T2D and the control group, and the results showed that the splicing disorder of the splicing event was about 25%, breast carcinoma amplified sequence 2(BCAS2) is one of the components of the spliceosome, and its function in islet β cell is unclear. Here we report that knockdown of Bcas2 decreases in glucose and KCl-stimulated insulin secretion in the NIT-1 cell line. The pancreas weight, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were detected in normal chow-fed and high-fat diet-fed Bcas2 f/f-βKO mice, and β cell mass and islet size was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Glucose intolerance developed in Bcas2 f/f-βKO mice, but there were no significant differences in pancreas weight, insulin sensitivity, β cell mass and islet size. Further, GSIS and observation of insulin secretion granules were performed on normal chow-fed mice, and it was found that the insulin level in serum decreased and the number of insulin secretion granules decreased in Bcas2 f/f-βKO mice, which was related to the abnormal splicing of Syt7 and Tcf7l2 pre-mRNA. Taken together, these results demonstrate that BCAS2 is involved in alternative splicing during insulin synthesis and secretion. Elisa,islet isolation,insulin secretion
Project description:We found that in rodents, postnatal beta-cell maturation is associated with changes in the expression of several islet microRNAs and discovered that these modifications are driven by changes in the nutrient supply. Mimicking the microRNA changes observed during ?-cell maturation in newborn rat islet cells was sufficient to promote glucose-induced insulin release and to achieve a mature ?-cell secretory phenotype. Moreover, the modifications in the level of some of these microRNAs reduced the proliferation of newborn ?-cells, suggesting that they contribute to the limited proliferative capacity of adult ?-cells. These findings demonstrated that miRNAs contribute to postnatal beta-cell maturation and development. Their role is likely to promote beta-cell adaptation to fule supply and to maintain glucose homeostasis by regulating insulin release and proliferation. Islets from 10-day-old rats (P10) (n=5) or 3-month-old male rat (n=6) were taken. Total RNA was extracted and microRNA profiling was performed using the Illumina TruSeq small RNA kit and single-end sequencing.
Project description:We found that in rodents, postnatal beta-cell maturation is associated with changes in the expression of several islet microRNAs and discovered that these modifications are driven by changes in the nutrient supply. Mimicking the microRNA changes observed during β-cell maturation in newborn rat islet cells was sufficient to promote glucose-induced insulin release and to achieve a mature β-cell secretory phenotype. Moreover, the modifications in the level of some of these microRNAs reduced the proliferation of newborn β-cells, suggesting that they contribute to the limited proliferative capacity of adult β-cells. These findings demonstrated that miRNAs contribute to postnatal beta-cell maturation and development. Their role is likely to promote beta-cell adaptation to fule supply and to maintain glucose homeostasis by regulating insulin release and proliferation. Islets from 10-day-old rats (P10) (n=3) or 3-month-old male rat (n=3) were taken. Total RNA was extracted and mRNA profiling via Illumina single-end sequencing of mRNA-seq libraries was performed.
Project description:We found that in rodents, postnatal beta-cell maturation is associated with changes in the expression of several islet microRNAs and discovered that these modifications are driven by changes in the nutrient supply. Mimicking the microRNA changes observed during β-cell maturation in newborn rat islet cells was sufficient to promote glucose-induced insulin release and to achieve a mature β-cell secretory phenotype. Moreover, the modifications in the level of some of these microRNAs reduced the proliferation of newborn β-cells, suggesting that they contribute to the limited proliferative capacity of adult β-cells. These findings demonstrated that miRNAs contribute to postnatal beta-cell maturation and development. Their role is likely to promote beta-cell adaptation to fule supply and to maintain glucose homeostasis by regulating insulin release and proliferation.
Project description:We found that in rodents, postnatal beta-cell maturation is associated with changes in the expression of several islet microRNAs and discovered that these modifications are driven by changes in the nutrient supply. Mimicking the microRNA changes observed during β-cell maturation in newborn rat islet cells was sufficient to promote glucose-induced insulin release and to achieve a mature β-cell secretory phenotype. Moreover, the modifications in the level of some of these microRNAs reduced the proliferation of newborn β-cells, suggesting that they contribute to the limited proliferative capacity of adult β-cells. These findings demonstrated that miRNAs contribute to postnatal beta-cell maturation and development. Their role is likely to promote beta-cell adaptation to fule supply and to maintain glucose homeostasis by regulating insulin release and proliferation.