scholarly journals Temporal Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Dynamic Gene Expression Patterns Driving β-Cell Maturation

Author(s):  
Tiziana Sanavia ◽  
Chen Huang ◽  
Elisabetta Manduchi ◽  
Yanwen Xu ◽  
Prasanna K. Dadi ◽  
...  

Newly differentiated pancreatic β cells lack proper insulin secretion profiles of mature functional β cells. The global gene expression differences between paired immature and mature β cells have been studied, but the dynamics of transcriptional events, correlating with temporal development of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), remain to be fully defined. This aspect is important to identify which genes and pathways are necessary for β-cell development or for maturation, as defective insulin secretion is linked with diseases such as diabetes. In this study, we assayed through RNA sequencing the global gene expression across six β-cell developmental stages in mice, spanning from β-cell progenitor to mature β cells. A computational pipeline then selected genes differentially expressed with respect to progenitors and clustered them into groups with distinct temporal patterns associated with biological functions and pathways. These patterns were finally correlated with experimental GSIS, calcium influx, and insulin granule formation data. Gene expression temporal profiling revealed the timing of important biological processes across β-cell maturation, such as the deregulation of β-cell developmental pathways and the activation of molecular machineries for vesicle biosynthesis and transport, signal transduction of transmembrane receptors, and glucose-induced Ca2+ influx, which were established over a week before β-cell maturation completes. In particular, β cells developed robust insulin secretion at high glucose several days after birth, coincident with the establishment of glucose-induced calcium influx. Yet the neonatal β cells displayed high basal insulin secretion, which decreased to the low levels found in mature β cells only a week later. Different genes associated with calcium-mediated processes, whose alterations are linked with insulin resistance and deregulation of glucose homeostasis, showed increased expression across β-cell stages, in accordance with the temporal acquisition of proper GSIS. Our temporal gene expression pattern analysis provided a comprehensive database of the underlying molecular components and biological mechanisms driving β-cell maturation at different temporal stages, which are fundamental for better control of the in vitro production of functional β cells from human embryonic stem/induced pluripotent cell for transplantation-based type 1 diabetes therapy.

2018 ◽  
Vol 314 (4) ◽  
pp. E308-E321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Kropp ◽  
Jennifer C. Dunn ◽  
Bethany A. Carboneau ◽  
Doris A. Stoffers ◽  
Maureen Gannon

The transcription factors pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (Pdx1) and onecut1 (Oc1) are coexpressed in multipotent pancreatic progenitors (MPCs), but their expression patterns diverge in hormone-expressing cells, with Oc1 expression being extinguished in the endocrine lineage and Pdx1 being maintained at high levels in β-cells. We previously demonstrated that cooperative function of these two factors in MPCs is necessary for proper specification and differentiation of pancreatic endocrine cells. In those studies, we observed a persistent decrease in expression of the β-cell maturity factor MafA. We therefore hypothesized that Pdx1 and Oc1 cooperativity in MPCs impacts postnatal β-cell maturation and function. Here our model of Pdx1-Oc1 double heterozygosity was used to investigate the impact of haploinsufficiency for both of these factors on postnatal β-cell maturation, function, and adaptability. Examining mice at postnatal day (P) 14, we observed alterations in pancreatic insulin content in both Pdx1 heterozygotes and double heterozygotes. Gene expression analysis at this age revealed significantly decreased expression of many genes important for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (e.g., Glut2, Pcsk1/2, Abcc8) exclusively in double heterozygotes. Analysis of P14 islets revealed an increase in the number of mixed islets in double heterozygotes. We predicted that double-heterozygous β-cells would have an impaired ability to respond to stress. Indeed, we observed that β-cell proliferation fails to increase in double heterozygotes in response to either high-fat diet or placental lactogen. We thus report here the importance of cooperation between regulatory factors early in development for postnatal islet maturation and adaptability.


2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanta J. Persaud ◽  
Dany Muller ◽  
Peter M. Jones

Studies in transgenic animals, rodent insulin-secreting cell lines and rodent islets suggest that insulin acts in an autocrine manner to regulate β-cell mass and gene expression. Very little is known about the in vitro roles played by insulin in human islets, and the regulatory role of insulin in protecting against β-cell apoptosis. We have identified mRNAs encoding IRs (insulin receptors) and downstream signalling elements in dissociated human islet β-cells by single-cell RT (reverse transcription)–PCR, and perifusion studies have indicated that insulin does not have an autocrine role to regulate insulin secretion from human islets, but activation of the closely related IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) receptors is linked to inhibition of insulin secretion. Knockdown of IR mRNA by siRNAs (small interfering RNAs) decreased IR protein expression without affecting IGF-1 receptor levels, and blocked glucose stimulation of preproinsulin gene expression. Similar results were obtained when human islet IRS (IR substrate)-2 was knocked down, whereas depletion of IRS-1 caused an increase in preproinsulin mRNA levels. Studies using the mouse MIN6 β-cell line indicated that glucose protected β-cells from undergoing apoptosis and that this was a consequence, at least in part, of insulin release in response to elevated glucose. IGF-1 also exerted anti-apoptotic effects. These data indicate that insulin can exert autocrine effects in human islets through receptors on β-cells. It protects β-cells against apoptosis and increases preproinsulin mRNA synthesis, but does not affect insulin secretion.


2018 ◽  
Vol 206 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manickam Subramanian ◽  
Balaji Thotakura ◽  
Swathi Priyadarshini Chandra Sekaran ◽  
Ashok kumar Jyothi ◽  
Indumathi Sundaramurthi

Background: Pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1) is a key transcription factor which regulates Insulin gene expression and insulin secretion in adult β-cells and helps to maintain β-cells mass. Naringin, a flavanone, owing to its anti­oxidant property, is reported to have antidiabetic effects. Objectives: The present study tries to evaluate the role of naringin on the β-cell-specific transcription factor PDX-1 in diabetic rats. Methods: Diabetes was induced in male rats using streptozotocin and treated with naringin (100 mg/kg) orally for 4 and 8 weeks. Serum insulin level, Pdx-1 and Insulin gene expression, and PDX-1 protein expression were assessed in the rat pancreas. Histopathological and ultrastructural changes in the islet and β-cells were observed. Results: Naringin prevented leukocytic infiltration in the pancreas of diabetic rats and recouped the β-cells with adequate secretory granules. Naringin-treated diabetic rats showed significantly increased mRNA expression of Pdx-1 and Insulin genes, increased expression of transcription factor PDX-1, and higher serum insulin levels than the diabetic control animals. These changes were more pronounced in the 8-week naringin-treated diabetic animals. Conclusions: Naringin was found to be an effective antidiabetic agent which increased Insulin gene expression and insulin secretion by upregulating the PDX-1 gene and protein expression.


2015 ◽  
Vol 100 (10) ◽  
pp. 3651-3659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Aguayo-Mazzucato ◽  
Amanda DiIenno ◽  
Jennifer Hollister-Lock ◽  
Christopher Cahill ◽  
Arun Sharma ◽  
...  

Context: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) differentiated toward β-cells and fetal human pancreatic islet cells resemble each other transcriptionally and are characterized by immaturity with a lack of glucose responsiveness, low levels of insulin content, and impaired proinsulin-to-insulin processing. However, their response to stimuli that promote functionality have not been compared. Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of our previous strategies for functional maturation developed in rodents in these two human models of β-cell immaturity and compare their responses. Design, Settings, Participants, and Interventions: In proof-of-principle experiments using either adenoviral-mediated overexpression of V-Maf avian musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog A (MAFA) or the physiologically driven path via thyroid hormone (T3) and human fetal islet-like cluster (ICC) functional maturity was evaluated. Then the effects of T3 were evaluated upon the functional maturation of hESCs differentiated toward β-cells. Main Outcome Measures: Functional maturation was evaluated by the following parameters: glucose responsiveness, insulin content, expression of the mature β-cell transcription factor MAFA, and proinsulin-to-insulin processing. Results: ICCs responded positively to MAFA overexpression and T3 treatment as assessed by two different maturation parameters: increased insulin secretion at 16.8 mM glucose and increased proinsulin-to-insulin processing. In hESCs differentiated toward β-cells, T3 enhanced MAFA expression, increased insulin content (probably mediated by the increased MAFA), and increased insulin secretion at 16.8 mM glucose. Conclusion: T3 is a useful in vitro stimulus to promote human β-cell maturation as shown in both human fetal ICCs and differentiated hESCs. The degree of maturation induced varied in the two models, possibly due to the different developmental status at the beginning of the study.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vipul Shrivastava ◽  
Megan Lee ◽  
Marle Pretorius ◽  
Guneet Makkar ◽  
Carol Huang

AbstractPancreatic islets adapt to insulin resistance of pregnancy by up regulating β-cell proliferation and increase insulin secretion. Previously, we found that prolactin receptor (Prlr) signaling is important for this process, as heterozygous prolactin receptor-null (Prlr+/−) mice are glucose intolerant, had a lower number of β cells and lower serum insulin levels than wild type mice during pregnancy. However, since Prlr expression is ubiquitous, to determine its β-cell specific effects, we generated a transgenic mouse with a floxed Prlr allele under the control of an inducible promoter, allowing conditional deletion of Prlr from β cells in adult mice. In this study, we found that β-cell-specific Prlr reduction resulted in elevated blood glucose during pregnancy. Similar to our previous finding in mouse with global Prlr reduction, β-cell-specific Prlr loss led to a lower β-cell mass and a lower in vivo insulin level during pregnancy. However, these islets do not have an intrinsic insulin secretion defect when tested in vitro. Interestingly, when we compared the islet gene expression profile, using islets isolated from mice with global versus β-cell-specific Prlr reduction, we found some important differences in genes that regulate apoptosis and insulin secretion. This suggests that Prlr has both cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous effect on β cells, beyond its regulation of pro-proliferative genes.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangjia Li ◽  
Dehong Hu ◽  
Cailin Dieter ◽  
Charles Ansong ◽  
Lori Sussel ◽  
...  

Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) technologies have greatly enhanced our understanding of islet cell transcriptomes and have revealed the existence of β cell heterogeneity. However, comparison of scRNA-Seq datasets from different groups have highlighted inconsistencies in gene expression patterns, primarily due to variable detection of lower abundance transcripts. Furthermore, such analyses are unable to uncover the spatial organization of heterogeneous gene expression. Here we used fluctuation localization imaging-based fluorescence in situ hybridization (fliFISH) to quantify transcripts in single cells in mouse pancreatic islet sections. We compared the expression patterns of <i>Insulin 2</i> (<i>Ins2)</i> with <i>Mafa</i> and <i>Ucn3</i> <i>–</i> two genes expressed in β cells as they mature, as well as <i>Rgs4 – </i>a factor with variably reported expression in the islet. This approach accurately quantified transcripts across a wide range of expression levels - from single copies to over hundred copies per cell in one islet. Importantly, fliFISH allowed evaluation of transcript heterogeneity in the spatial context of an intact islet. These studies confirm the existence of a high degree of heterogeneous gene expression levels within the islet and highlight relative and radial expression patterns that likely reflect distinct β cell maturation states along the radial axis of the islet.


2011 ◽  
Vol 212 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung Jin Han ◽  
Sung-E Choi ◽  
Sang-A Yi ◽  
Soo-Jin Lee ◽  
Hae Jin Kim ◽  
...  

2-Aminobicyclo-(2,2,1)-heptane-2-carboxylic acid (BCH) is an activator of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), which is a mitochondrial enzyme with an important role in insulin secretion. We investigated the effect of BCH on the high-glucose (HG)-induced reduction in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), the HG/palmitate (PA)-induced reduction in insulin gene expression, and HG/PA-induced β-cell death. We also studied whether long-term treatment with BCH lowers blood glucose and improves β-cell integrity indb/dbmice. We evaluated GSIS, insulin gene expression, and DNA fragmentation in INS-1 cells exposed to HG or HG/PA in the presence or absence of BCH. Anin vivostudy was performed in which 7-week-old diabeticdb/dbmice were treated with BCH (0.7 g/kg,n=10) and placebo (n=10) every other day for 6 weeks. After treatment, an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and immunohistological examinations were performed. Treatment with BCH blocked HG-induced GSIS inhibition and the HG/PA-induced reduction in insulin gene expression in INS-1 cells. In addition, BCH significantly reduced HG/PA-induced INS-1 cell death and phospho-JNK level. BCH treatment improved glucose tolerance and insulin secretion indb/dbmice. BCH treatment also increased the ratio of insulin-positive β-cells to total islet area (P<0.05) and reduced the percentage of β-cells expressing cleaved caspase 3 (P<0.05). In conclusion, the GDH activator BCH improved glycemic control indb/dbmice. This anti-diabetic effect may be associated with improved insulin secretion, preserved islet architecture, and reduced β-cell apoptosis.


2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (6) ◽  
pp. E1906-E1916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianguo Chen ◽  
Per Bendix Jeppesen ◽  
Iver Nordentoft ◽  
Kjeld Hermansen

Chronic hyperglycemia is detrimental to pancreatic β-cells, causing impaired insulin secretion and β-cell turnover. The characteristic secretory defects are increased basal insulin secretion (BIS) and a selective loss of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Several recent studies support the view that the acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) plays a pivotal role for GSIS. We have shown that stevioside (SVS) enhances insulin secretion and ACC gene expression. Whether glucotoxicity influences ACC and whether this action can be counteracted by SVS are not known. To investigate this, we exposed isolated mouse islets as well as clonal INS-1E β-cells for 48 h to 27 or 16.7 mM glucose, respectively. We found that 48-h exposure to high glucose impairs GSIS from mouse islets and INS-1E cells, an effect that is partly counteracted by SVS. The ACC dephosphorylation inhibitor okadaic acid (OKA, 10−8 M), and 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-d-ribofuranoside (AICAR, 10−4 M), an activator of 5′-AMP protein kinase that phosphorylates ACC, eliminated the beneficial effect of SVS. 5-Tetrade-cyloxy-2-furancarboxylic acid (TOFA), the specific ACC inhibitor, blocked the effect of SVS as well. During glucotoxity, ACC gene expression, ACC protein, and phosphorylated ACC protein were increased in INS-1E β-cells. SVS pretreatment further increased ACC gene expression with strikingly elevated ACC activity and increased glucose uptake accompanied by enhanced GSIS. Our studies show that glucose is a potent stimulator of ACC and that SVS to some extent counteracts glucotoxicity via increased ACC activity. SVS possesses the potential to alleviate negative effects of glucotoxicity in β-cells via a unique mechanism of action.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangjia Li ◽  
Dehong Hu ◽  
Cailin Dieter ◽  
Charles Ansong ◽  
Lori Sussel ◽  
...  

Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) technologies have greatly enhanced our understanding of islet cell transcriptomes and have revealed the existence of β cell heterogeneity. However, comparison of scRNA-Seq datasets from different groups have highlighted inconsistencies in gene expression patterns, primarily due to variable detection of lower abundance transcripts. Furthermore, such analyses are unable to uncover the spatial organization of heterogeneous gene expression. Here we used fluctuation localization imaging-based fluorescence in situ hybridization (fliFISH) to quantify transcripts in single cells in mouse pancreatic islet sections. We compared the expression patterns of <i>Insulin 2</i> (<i>Ins2)</i> with <i>Mafa</i> and <i>Ucn3</i> <i>–</i> two genes expressed in β cells as they mature, as well as <i>Rgs4 – </i>a factor with variably reported expression in the islet. This approach accurately quantified transcripts across a wide range of expression levels - from single copies to over hundred copies per cell in one islet. Importantly, fliFISH allowed evaluation of transcript heterogeneity in the spatial context of an intact islet. These studies confirm the existence of a high degree of heterogeneous gene expression levels within the islet and highlight relative and radial expression patterns that likely reflect distinct β cell maturation states along the radial axis of the islet.


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