Inhibition of Hes1 activity in gall bladder epithelial cells promotes insulin expression and glucose responsiveness

2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 975-987 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Coad ◽  
J. R. Dutton ◽  
D. Tosh ◽  
J. M.W. Slack

The biliary system has a close developmental relationship with the pancreas, evidenced by the natural occurrence of small numbers of biliary-derived β-cells in the biliary system and by the replacement of biliary epithelium with pancreatic tissue in mice lacking the transcription factor Hes1. In normal pancreatic development, Hes1 is known to repress endocrine cell formation. Here we show that glucose-responsive insulin secretion can be induced in biliary epithelial cells when activity of the transcription factor Hes1 is antagonised. We describe a new culture system for adult murine gall bladder epithelial cells (GBECs), free from fibroblast contamination. We show that Hes1 is expressed both in adult murine gall bladder and in cultured GBECs. We have created a new dominant negative Hes1 (ΔHes1) by removal of the DNA-binding domain, and show that it antagonises Hes1 function in vivo. When ΔHes1 is introduced into the GBEC it causes expression of insulin RNA and protein. Furthermore, it confers upon the cells the ability to secrete insulin following exposure to increased external glucose. GBEC cultures are induced to express a wider range of mature β cell markers when co-transduced with ΔHes1 and the pancreatic transcription factor Pdx1. Introduction of ΔHes1 and Pdx1 can therefore initiate a partial respecification of phenotype from biliary epithelial cell towards the pancreatic β cell.

Endocrinology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 149 (5) ◽  
pp. 2251-2260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Beith ◽  
Emilyn U. Alejandro ◽  
James D. Johnson

A relative decrease in β-cell mass is key in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and in the failure of transplanted islet grafts. It is now clear that β-cell duplication plays a dominant role in the regulation of adult β-cell mass. Therefore, knowledge of the endogenous regulators of β-cell replication is critical for understanding the physiological control of β-cell mass and for harnessing this process therapeutically. We have shown that concentrations of insulin known to exist in vivo act directly on β-cells to promote survival. Whether insulin stimulates adult β-cell proliferation remains unclear. We tested this hypothesis using dispersed primary mouse islet cells double labeled with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine and insulin antisera. Treating cells with 200-pm insulin significantly increased proliferation from a baseline rate of 0.15% per day. Elevating glucose from 5–15 mm did not significantly increase β-cell replication. β-Cell proliferation was inhibited by somatostatin as well as inhibitors of insulin signaling. Interestingly, inhibiting Raf-1 kinase blocked proliferation stimulated by low, but not high (superphysiological), insulin doses. Insulin-stimulated mouse insulinoma cell proliferation was dependent on both phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and Raf-1/MAPK kinase pathways. Overexpression of Raf-1 was sufficient to increase proliferation in the absence of insulin, whereas a dominant-negative Raf-1 reduced proliferation in the presence of 200-pm insulin. Together, these results demonstrate for the first time that insulin, at levels that have been measured in vivo, can directly stimulate β-cell proliferation and that Raf-1 kinase is involved in this process. These findings have significant implications for the understanding of the regulation of β-cell mass in both the hyperinsulinemic and insulin-deficient states that occur in the various forms of diabetes.


1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 7589-7599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariano Ubeda ◽  
Mario Vallejo ◽  
Joel F. Habener

ABSTRACT The transcription factor CHOP (C/EBP homologous protein 10) is a bZIP protein induced by a variety of stimuli that evoke cellular stress responses and has been shown to arrest cell growth and to promote programmed cell death. CHOP cannot form homodimers but forms stable heterodimers with the C/EBP family of activating transcription factors. Although initially characterized as a dominant negative inhibitor of C/EBPs in the activation of gene transcription, CHOP-C/EBP can activate certain target genes. Here we show that CHOP interacts with members of the immediate-early response, growth-promoting AP-1 transcription factor family, JunD, c-Jun, and c-Fos, to activate promoter elements in the somatostatin, JunD, and collagenase genes. The leucine zipper dimerization domain is required for interactions with AP-1 proteins and transactivation of transcription. Analyses by electrophoretic mobility shift assays and by an in vivo mammalian two-hybrid system for protein-protein interactions indicate that CHOP interacts with AP-1 proteins inside cells and suggest that it is recruited to the AP-1 complex by a tethering mechanism rather than by direct binding of DNA. Thus, CHOP not only is a negative or a positive regulator of C/EBP target genes but also, when tethered to AP-1 factors, can activate AP-1 target genes. These findings establish the existence of a new mechanism by which CHOP regulates gene expression when cells are exposed to cellular stress.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeetindra R. A. Balak ◽  
Juri Juksar ◽  
Françoise Carlotti ◽  
Antonio Lo Nigro ◽  
Eelco J. P. de Koning

Abstract Purpose of Review Novel 3D organoid culture techniques have enabled long-term expansion of pancreatic tissue. This review comprehensively summarizes and evaluates the applications of primary tissue–derived pancreatic organoids in regenerative studies, disease modelling, and personalized medicine. Recent Findings Organoids derived from human fetal and adult pancreatic tissue have been used to study pancreas development and repair. Generated adult human pancreatic organoids harbor the capacity for clonal expansion and endocrine cell formation. In addition, organoids have been generated from human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in order to study tumor behavior and assess drug responses. Summary Pancreatic organoids constitute an important translational bridge between in vitro and in vivo models, enhancing our understanding of pancreatic cell biology. Current applications for pancreatic organoid technology include studies on tissue regeneration, disease modelling, and drug screening.


2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 3227-3237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuhiro Maki ◽  
Honoka Arai ◽  
Kazuo Waga ◽  
Ko Sasaki ◽  
Fumihiko Nakamura ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT TEL is an ETS family transcription factor that possesses multiple putative mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation sites. We here describe the functional regulation of TEL via ERK pathways. Overexpressed TEL becomes phosphorylated in vivo by activated ERK. TEL is also directly phosphorylated in vitro by ERK. The inducible phosphorylation sites are Ser213 and Ser257. TEL binds to a common docking domain in ERK. In vivo ERK-dependent phosphorylation reduces trans-repressional and DNA-binding abilities of TEL for ETS-binding sites. A mutant carrying substituted glutamates on both Ser213 and Ser257 functionally mimics hyperphosphorylated TEL and also shows a dominant-negative effect on TEL-induced transcriptional suppression. Losing DNA-binding affinity through phosphorylation but heterodimerizing with unmodified TEL could be an underlying mechanism. Moreover, the glutamate mutant dominantly interferes with TEL-induced erythroid differentiation in MEL cells and growth suppression in NIH 3T3 cells. Finally, endogenous TEL is dephosphorylated in parallel with ERK inactivation in differentiating MEL cells and is phosphorylated through ERK activation in Ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells. These data indicate that TEL is a constituent downstream of ERK in signal transduction systems and is physiologically regulated by ERK in molecular and biological features.


2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard I. Dorsky ◽  
David W. Raible ◽  
Randall T. Moon

We have shown that Wnt signals are necessary and sufficient for neural crest cells to adopt pigment cell fates. nacre, a zebrafish homolog of MITF, is required for pigment cell differentiation. We isolated a promoter region of nacre that contains Tcf/Lef binding sites, which can mediate Wnt responsiveness. This promoter binds to zebrafish Lef1 protein in vitro, and a nacre reporter construct is strongly repressed by dominant-negative Tcf in melanoma cells. Mutation of Tcf/Lef sites abolishes Lef1 binding and reporter function in vivo. Wnt signaling therefore directly activatesnacre, which in turn leads to pigment cell differentiation.


2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 3521-3531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa M. Faraldo ◽  
Marie-Ange Deugnier ◽  
Sylvie Tlouzeau ◽  
Jean Paul Thiery ◽  
Marina A. Glukhova

To study the mechanism of β1-integrin function in vivo, we have generated transgenic mouse expressing a dominant negative mutant of β1-integrin under the control of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter (MMTV-β1-cyto). Mammary glands from MMTV-β1-cyto transgenic females present significant growth defects during pregnancy and lactation and impaired differentiation of secretory epithelial cells at the onset of lactation. We report herein that perturbation of β1-integrin function in involuting mammary gland induced precocious dedifferentiation of the secretory epithelium, as shown by the premature decrease in β-casein and whey acidic protein mRNA levels, accompanied by inactivation of STAT5, a transcription factor essential for mammary gland development and up-regulation of nuclear factor-κB, a negative regulator of STAT5 signaling. This is the first study demonstrating in vivo that cell–extracellular matrix interactions involving β1-integrins play an important role in the control of milk gene transcription and in the maintenance of the mammary epithelial cell differentiated state.


2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 575-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Reeves ◽  
Dale D. Edberg ◽  
Ying Li

ABSTRACT Numerous studies have demonstrated that overexpression or aberrant expression of the HMGI(Y) family of architectural transcription factors is frequently associated with both neoplastic transformation of cells and metastatic tumor progression. Little is known, however, about the molecular roles played by the HMGI(Y) proteins in these events. Here we report that human breast epithelial cells harboring tetracycline-regulated HMGI(Y) transgenes acquire the ability to form both primary and metastatic tumors in nude mice only when the transgenes are actively expressed. Unexpectedly, the HMG-Y, rather than the HMG-I, isoform of these proteins is the most effective elicitor of both neoplastic transformation and metastatic progression in vivo. Furthermore, expression of either antisense or dominant-negative HMGI(Y) constructs inhibits both the rate of proliferation of tumor cells and their ability to grow anchorage independently in soft agar. Array analysis of transcription profiles demonstrates that the HMG-I and HMG-Y isoform proteins each modulate the expression of distinctive constellations of genes known to be involved in signal transduction, cell proliferation, tumor initiation, invasion, migration, induction of angiogenesis, and colonization. Immunohistochemical analyses of tumors formed in nude mice indicate that many have undergone an epithelial-mesenchymal transition in vivo. Together, these findings demonstrate that overexpression of the HMGI(Y) proteins, more specifically, the HMG-Y isoform protein, is causally associated with both neoplastic transformation and metastatic progression and suggest that induction of integrins and their signaling pathways may play significant molecular roles in these biological events.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Eckert ◽  
Gautam Adhikary ◽  
Christina A. Young ◽  
Ralph Jans ◽  
James F. Crish ◽  
...  

AP1 (jun/fos) transcription factors (c-jun, junB, junD, c-fos, FosB, Fra-1, and Fra-2) are key regulators of epidermal keratinocyte survival and differentiation and important drivers of cancer development. Understanding the role of these factors in epidermis is complicated by the fact that each protein is expressed, at different levels, in multiple cells layers in differentiating epidermis, and because AP1 transcription factors regulate competing processes (i.e., proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation). Variousin vivogenetic approaches have been used to study these proteins including targeted and conditional knockdown, overexpression, and expression of dominant-negative inactivating AP1 transcription factors in epidermis. Taken together, these studies suggest that individual AP1 transcription factors have different functions in the epidermis and in cancer development and that altering AP1 transcription factor function in the basal versus suprabasal layers differentially influences the epidermal differentiation response and disease and cancer development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (S4) ◽  
pp. 48-67

Background/Aims: Podocyte differentiation is essential for proper blood filtration in the kidney. It is well known that transcription factors play an essential role to maintain the differentiation of podocytes. The present study is focused on the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor Tcf21 (Pod1) which is essential for the development of podocytes in vivo. Since parietal epithelial cells (PECs) are still under debate to be progenitor cells which can differentiate into podocytes, we wanted to find out whether the expression of Tcf21 induces a transition of PECs into podocytes. Methods: We transfected PECs with Tcf21-GFP and analyzed the expression of PEC- and podocyte-specific markers. Furthermore, we performed ChIP-Seq analysis to identify new putative interaction partners and target genes of Tcf21. Results: By gene arrays analysis, we found that podocytes express high levels of Tcf21 in vivo in contrast to cultured podocytes and parietal epithelial cells (PECs) in vitro. After the expression of Tcf21 in PECs, we observed a downregulation of specific PEC markers like caveolin‑1, β-catenin and Pax2. Additionally, we found that the upregulation of Tcf21 induced multi-lobulation of cell nuclei, budding and a formation of micronuclei (MBM). Furthermore, a high number of PECs showed a tetraploid set of chromosomes. By qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis, we revealed that the transcription factor YY1 is downregulated by Tcf21. Interestingly, co-expression of YY1 and Tcf21 rescues MBM and reduced tetraploidy. By ChIP-Seq analysis, we identified a genome-wide Tcf21-binding site (CAGCTG), which matched the CANNTG sequence, a common E-box binding motif used by bHLH transcription factors. Using this technique, we identified additional Tcf21 targets genes that are involved in the regulation of the cell cycle (e.g. Mdm2, Cdc45, Cyclin D1, Cyclin D2), on the stability of microtubules (e.g. Mapt) as well as chromosome segregation. Conclusion: Taken together, we demonstrate that Tcf21 inhibits the expression of PEC-specific markers and of the transcription factor YY1, induces MBM as well as regulates the cell cycle suggesting that Tcf21 might be important for PEC differentiation into podocyte-like cells.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 1892-1904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan-dan Yin ◽  
Er-bao Zhang ◽  
Liang-hui You ◽  
Ning Wang ◽  
Lin-tao Wang ◽  
...  

Background: Increasing evidence indicates that long noncoding RNAs (IncRNAs) perform specific biological functions in diverse processes. Recent studies have reported that IncRNAs may be involved in β cell function. The aim of this study was to characterize the role of IncRNA TUG1 in mouse pancreatic β cell functioning both in vitro and in vivo. Methods: qRT-PCR analyses were performed to detect the expression of lncRNA TUG1 in different tissues. RNAi, MTT, TUNEL and Annexin V-FITC assays and western blot, GSIS, ELISA and immunochemistry analyses were performed to detect the effect of lncRNA TUG1 on cell apoptosis and insulin secretion in vitro and in vivo. Results: lncRNA TUG1 was highly expressed in pancreatic tissue compared with other organ tissues, and expression was dynamically regulated by glucose in Nit-1 cells. Knockdown of lncRNA TUG1 expression resulted in an increased apoptosis ratio and decreased insulin secretion in β cells both in vitro and in vivo . Immunochemistry analyses suggested decreased relative islet area after treatment with lncRNA TUG1 siRNA. Conclusion: Downregulation of lncRNA TUG1 expression affected apoptosis and insulin secretion in pancreatic β cells in vitro and in vivo. lncRNA TUG1 may represent a factor that regulates the function of pancreatic β cells.


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