scholarly journals Islet Gene View - a tool to facilitate islet research

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olof Asplund ◽  
Petter Storm ◽  
Vikash Chandra ◽  
Emilia Ottosson-Laakso ◽  
Gad Hatem ◽  
...  

AbstractChanges in the hormone-producing pancreatic islets are central culprits in type 2 diabetes (T2D) pathogenesis. Characterization of gene expression in islets how it is altered in T2D are therefore vital in understanding islet function and T2D pathogenesis. We leveraged RNA-sequencing and genome-wide genotyping in islets from 188 donors to create the Islet Gene View (IGW) platform to make this information easily accessible to the scientific community. The IGW combines expression data for a given gene with phenotypical data such as T2D status, BMI, HbA1c, insulin secretion, purity of islets, etc.), regulation of gene expression by genetic variants e.g., expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and relationship with expression of islet hormones. In IGW, 285 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in T2D donors islets compared to controls. Forty percent of the DEGs showed cell-type enrichment and a large proportion of them were significantly co-expressed with islet hormone-encoding genes like glucagon (GCG, 56%), amylin (IAPP, 52%), insulin (INS, 44%) and somatostatin (SST, 24%). Inhibition of two DEGs, UNC5D and SERPINE2 impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and impacted cell survival in a human beta-cell model.Significance StatementWe present Islet Gene View (IGW), a web resource facilitating information on gene expression in human pancreatic islets from organ donors easily accessible to the scientific community. In IGW, we explored RNA expression from 188 donor-islets and examined their relationship with islet phenotypes including insulin secretion and expression of genes encoding islet hormones. GWAS have shown 403 genetic variants associated with risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk, however, the target genes and function of these variants in islets are largely unknown. By linking T2D risk variants to expression in islets from T2D and non-diabetic donors as well as islet phenotypes, use of IGW provided new insight into mechanisms by which variants in these loci may increase risk of T2D.

2011 ◽  
Vol 165 (4) ◽  
pp. 589-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders H Olsson ◽  
Beatrice T Yang ◽  
Elin Hall ◽  
Jalal Taneera ◽  
Albert Salehi ◽  
...  

ObjectiveGene expression alterations, especially in target tissues of insulin, have been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this study, we examined if genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) show differential gene expression and DNA methylation in pancreatic islets from patients with T2D compared with non-diabetic donors.Design and methodsGene expression was analyzed in human pancreatic islets from 55 non-diabetic donors and nine T2D donors using microarray.ResultsWhile the expected number of OXPHOS genes with reduced gene expression is 7.21, we identified 21 downregulated OXPHOS genes in pancreatic islets from patients with T2D using microarray analysis. This gives a ratio of observed over expected OXPHOS genes of 26.37 by aχ2-test withP=2.81×10−7. The microarray data was validated by qRT-PCR for four selected OXPHOS genes:NDUFA5, NDUFA10, COX11, andATP6V1H. All four OXPHOS genes were significantly downregulated in islets from patients with T2D compared with non-diabetic donors using qRT-PCR (P≤0.01). Furthermore, HbAlc levels correlated negatively with gene expression ofNDUFA5, COX11, andATP6V1H(P<0.05). Gene expression ofNDUFA5, NDUFA10, COX11, andATP6V1Hcorrelated positively with glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (P<0.03). Finally, DNA methylation was analyzed upstream of the transcription start forNDUFA5, COX11, andATP6V1H. However, none of the analyzed CpG sites in the three genes showed differences in DNA methylation in islets from donors with T2D compared with non-diabetic donors.ConclusionPancreatic islets from patients with T2D show decreased expression of a set of OXPHOS genes, which may lead to impaired insulin secretion.


Diabetes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 110-OR
Author(s):  
MARIA J. REDONDO ◽  
MEGAN V. WARNOCK ◽  
LAURA E. BOCCHINO ◽  
SUSAN GEYER ◽  
ALBERTO PUGLIESE ◽  
...  

2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (6) ◽  
pp. E1023-E1031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Leclerc ◽  
Wolfram W. Woltersdorf ◽  
Gabriela da Silva Xavier ◽  
Rebecca L. Rowe ◽  
Sarah E. Cross ◽  
...  

Metformin, a drug widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, has recently been shown to act on skeletal muscle and liver in part through the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Whether metformin or the satiety factor leptin, which also stimulates AMPK in muscle, regulates this enzyme in pancreatic islets is unknown. We have recently shown that forced increases in AMPK activity inhibit insulin secretion from MIN6 cells (da Silva Xavier G, Leclerc I, Varadi A, Tsuboi T, Moule SK, and Rutter GA. Biochem J 371: 761–774, 2003). Here, we explore whether 1) glucose, metformin, or leptin regulates AMPK activity in isolated islets from rodent and human and 2) whether changes in AMPK activity modulate insulin secretion from human islets. Increases in glucose concentration from 0 to 3 and from 3 to 17 mM inhibited AMPK activity in primary islets from mouse, rat, and human, confirming previous findings in insulinoma cells. Incubation with metformin (0.2–1 mM) activated AMPK in both human islets and MIN6 β-cells in parallel with an inhibition of insulin secretion, whereas leptin (10–100 nM) was without effect in MIN6 cells. These studies demonstrate that AMPK activity is subject to regulation by both glucose and metformin in pancreatic islets and clonal β-cells. The inhibitory effects of metformin on insulin secretion may therefore need to be considered with respect to the use of this drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Livia Lopez-Noriega ◽  
Rebecca Callingham ◽  
Aida Martinez-Sánchez ◽  
Grazia Pizza ◽  
Nejc Haberman ◽  
...  

AbstractLong non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as crucial regulators of β-cell development and function. Consequently, the mis-expression of members of this group may contribute to the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Here, we investigate roles for an antisense lncRNA expressed from the Pax6 locus (annotated as Pax6os1 in mice and PAX6-AS1 in humans) in β-cell function. The transcription factor Pax6 is required for the development of pancreatic islets and maintenance of a fully differentiated β-cell phenotype. Pax6os1/PAX6-AS1 expression was increased in pancreatic islets and β-cell lines at high glucose concentrations, in islets from mice fed a high fat diet, and in those from patients with type 2 diabetes. Silencing or deletion of Pax6os1/PAX6-AS1 in MIN6 cells and EndoC-βH1cells, respectively, upregulated β-cell signature genes, including insulin. Moreover, shRNA-mediated silencing of PAX6-AS1 in human islets not only increased insulin mRNA, but also enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and calcium dynamics. In contrast, inactivation of Pax6os1 in mice was largely without effect on glucose homeostasis, though female Pax6os1 null mice on high fat diet (HFD) showed a tendency towards enhanced glucose clearance. Together, our results suggest that increased expression of PAX6-AS1 at high glucose levels may contribute to β-cell dedifferentiation and failure in some forms of type 2 diabetes. Thus, targeting PAX6-AS1 may provide a promising strategy to enhance insulin secretion and improve glucose homeostasis in type 2 diabetes.


2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kay E Garnett ◽  
Philip Chapman ◽  
Julie A Chambers ◽  
Ian D Waddell ◽  
David S W Boam

The β-cell failure that characterises type 2 diabetes is likely to involve altered expression of many genes. We aimed to identify global changes in gene expression underlying β-cell dysfunction in pre-diabetic Zucker Diabetic Fatty rat islets, followed by functional studies to verify our findings. Gene expression profiles in islets from 6-week-old Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats and Zucker Fatty rat controls were analysed using Affymetrix microarrays. Totally 977 genes were found to be differentially regulated, comprising large groups of membrane and structural proteins, kinases, channels, receptors, transporters, growth factors and transcription factors. We are particularly interested in transcription factors, which can have profound effects on cellular function. Thus a subset of those with no role yet defined in the β-cell was selected for further study namely the immediate-early gene Egr-1, PAG608, rCGR19 and mSin3b. Tissue specificity of these factors varied but interestingly Egr-1 expression was highly enriched in the pancreatic islet. To determine a possible role of Egr-1 in the β-cell, Egr-1 expression in INS-1 cells was silenced using RNA interference (RNAi). Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in these cells was then measured using ELISA and cell proliferation was measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated silencing of the Egr-1 gene inhibited its induction by glucose but had no observable effect on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. However, Egr-1 gene silencing did inhibit proliferation of INS-1 cells in a glucose-independent manner. Our studies have revealed a role for Egr-1 and suggest that reduced Egr-1 gene expression may contribute to decreased β-cell proliferation and the consequent β-cell failure observed in the later stages of type 2 diabetes.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angli Xue ◽  
Yang Wu ◽  
Zhihong Zhu ◽  
Futao Zhang ◽  
Kathryn E Kemper ◽  
...  

AbstractWe conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with ∼16 million genotyped/imputed genetic variants in 62,892 type 2 diabetes (T2D) cases and 596,424 controls of European ancestry. We identified 139 common and 4 rare (minor allele frequency < 0.01) variants associated with T2D, 42 of which (39 common and 3 rare variants) were independent of the known variants. Integration of the gene expression data from blood (n = 14,115 and 2,765) and other T2D-relevant tissues (n = up to 385) with the GWAS results identified 33 putative functional genes for T2D, three of which were targeted by approved drugs. A further integration of DNA methylation (n = 1,980) and epigenomic annotations data highlighted three putative T2D genes (CAMK1D, TP53INP1 and ATP5G1) with plausible regulatory mechanisms whereby a genetic variant exerts an effect on T2D through epigenetic regulation of gene expression. We further found evidence that the T2D-associated loci have been under purifying selection.


2016 ◽  
Vol 120 ◽  
pp. S181
Author(s):  
Ghupurjan Gheni ◽  
Norihide Yokoi ◽  
Takuro Yamaguchi ◽  
Kohei Honda ◽  
Mahira Hashim ◽  
...  

2000 ◽  
Vol 164 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
EG Siegel ◽  
A Seidenstucker ◽  
B Gallwitz ◽  
F Schmitz ◽  
A Reinecke-Luthge ◽  
...  

Liver cirrhosis is often accompanied by a disturbed carbohydrate metabolism similar to type 2 diabetes. To investigate the severity of the defect in insulin secretion in this form of diabetes, we measured insulin release from isolated pancreatic islets of rats with CCl(4)-phenobarbital-induced liver cirrhosis. Cirrhosis was confirmed by clinical signs, elevated liver enzymes and histology. Fasting venous plasma glucose concentrations were equal in rats with liver cirrhosis and in controls. Plasma insulin and glucagon concentrations were significantly greater (P<0.01) in cirrhotic rats than in control animals. Glucose (16.7 mM)-induced stimulation of insulin release from pancreatic islets revealed a twofold increase in control and cirrhotic rats. Basal and stimulated insulin secretion, however, were significantly lower in cirrhotic animals. The incretin hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), has therapeutic potential for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Therefore, islets from control and cirrhotic animals were incubated with GLP-1 in concentrations from 10(-)(11) to 10(-)(6) M. GLP-1 stimulated insulin release in a concentration-dependent manner. In islets from cirrhotic rats, basal and stimulated insulin secretion was blunted compared with controls. These data show that the hyperinsulinemia observed in liver cirrhosis is not due to an increase of insulin secretion from islets, but could be explained by decreased hepatic clearance of insulin. GLP-1 may ameliorate diabetes in patients with liver cirrhosis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 103 (12) ◽  
pp. 4373-4383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicia Gerst ◽  
Benjamin A Jaghutriz ◽  
Harald Staiger ◽  
Anke M Schulte ◽  
Estela Lorza-Gil ◽  
...  

Abstract Context Reduced β-cell mass, impaired islet function, and dedifferentiation are considered causal to development of hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes. In human cohort studies, changes of islet cell–specific expression patterns have been associated with diabetes but not directly with in vivo insulin secretion. Objective This study investigates alterations of islet gene expression and corresponding gene variants in the context of in vivo glycemic traits from the same patients. Methods Fasting blood was collected before surgery, and pancreatic tissue was frozen after resection from 18 patients undergoing pancreatectomy. Islet tissue was isolated by laser capture microdissection. Islet transcriptome was analyzed using microarray and quantitative RT-PCR. Proteins were examined by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. The association of gene variants with insulin secretion was investigated with oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)-derived insulin secretion measured in a large cohort of subjects at increased risk of type 2 diabetes and with hyperglycemic clamp in a subset. Results Differential gene expression between islets from normoglycemic and hyperglycemic patients was prominent for the glycolytic enzyme ALDOB and the obesity-associated gene FAIM2. The mRNA levels of both genes correlated negatively with insulin secretion and positively with HbA1c. Islets of hyperglycemic patients displayed increased ALDOB immunoreactivity in insulin-positive cells, whereas α- and δ-cells were negative. Exposure of isolated islets to hyperglycemia augmented ALDOB expression. The minor allele of the ALDOB variant rs550915 associated with significantly higher levels of C-peptide and insulin during OGTT and hyperglycemic clamp, respectively. Conclusion Our analyses suggest that increased ALDOB expression in human islets is associated with lower insulin secretion.


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