Reconstituting pancreas development from purified progenitor cells reveals genes essential for islet differentiation.

Developmental biology is challenged to reveal the function of numerous candidate genes implicated by recent genome-scale studies as regulators of organ development and diseases. Recapitulating organogenesis from purified progenitor cells that can be genetically manipulated would provide powerful opportunities to dissect such gene functions. Here we describe systems for reconstructing pancreas development, including islet ß-cell and α-cell differentiation, from single fetal progenitor cells. A strict requirement for native genetic regulators of in vivo pancreas development, such as Ngn3, Arx, and Pax4, revealed the authenticity of differentiation programs in vitro. Efficient genetic screens permitted by this system revealed that Prdm16 is required for pancreatic islet development in vivo. Discovering the function of genes regulating pancreas development with our system should enrich strategies for regenerating islets for treating diabetes mellitus.

Specification of Drosophila corpora cardiaca neuroendocrine cells from mesoderm is regulated by Notch signaling.

Drosophila neuroendocrine cells comprising the corpora cardiaca (CC) are essential for systemic glucose regulation and represent functional orthologues of vertebrate pancreatic α-cells. Although Drosophila CC cells have been regarded as developmental orthologues of pituitary gland, the genetic regulation of CC development is poorly understood. From a genetic screen, we identified multiple novel regulators of CC development, including Notch signaling factors. Our studies demonstrate that the disruption of Notch signaling can lead to the expansion of CC cells. Live imaging demonstrates localized emergence of extra precursor cells as the basis of CC expansion in Notch mutants. Contrary to a recent report, we unexpectedly found that CC cells originate from head mesoderm. We show that Tinman expression in head mesoderm is regulated by Notch signaling and that the combination of Daughterless and Tinman is sufficient for ectopic CC specification in mesoderm. Understanding the cellular, genetic, signaling, and transcriptional basis of CC cell specification and expansion should accelerate discovery of molecular mechanisms regulating ontogeny of organs that control metabolism.

Dissecting Human Gene Functions Regulating Islet Development With Targeted Gene Transduction.

During pancreas development, endocrine precursors and their progeny differentiate, migrate, and cluster to form nascent islets. The transcription factor Neurogenin 3 (Neurog3) is required for islet development in mice, but its role in these dynamic morphogenetic steps has been inferred from fixed tissues. Moreover, little is known about the molecular genetic functions of NEUROG3 in human islet development. We developed methods for gene transduction by viral microinjection in the epithelium of cultured Neurog3-null mutant fetal pancreas, permitting genetic complementation in a developmentally relevant context. In addition, we developed methods for quantitative assessment of live-cell phenotypes in single developing islet cells. Delivery of wild-type NEUROG3 rescued islet differentiation, morphogenesis, and live cell deformation, whereas the patient-derived NEUROG3(R107S) allele partially restored indicators of islet development. NEUROG3(P39X), a previously unreported patient allele, failed to restore islet differentiation or morphogenesis and was indistinguishable from negative controls, suggesting that it is a null mutation. Our systems also permitted genetic suppression analysis and revealed that targets of NEUROG3, including NEUROD1 and RFX6, can partially restore islet development in Neurog3-null mutant mouse pancreata. Thus, advances described here permitted unprecedented assessment of gene functions in regulating crucial dynamic aspects of islet development in the fetal pancreas.

Conserved markers of fetal pancreatic epithelium permit prospective isolation of islet progenitor cells by FACS.

Prospective isolation and characterization of progenitor cells is a paradigmatic strategy for studies of organ development. However, extraction of viable cells, fractionation of lineages, and in vitro analysis of progenitors from the fetal pancreas in experimental organisms like mice has proved challenging and has not yet been reported for human fetal pancreas. Here, we report isolation of pancreatic islet progenitor cells from fetal mice by FACS. Monoclonal antibodies that recognize cell-surface proteins on candidate stem cells in brain, skin, and other organs enabled separation of major pancreatic cell lineages and isolation of native pancreatic cells expressing neurogenin 3, an established marker of islet progenitors. New in vitro cell culture methods permitted isolated mouse islet progenitors to develop into hormone-expressing endocrine cells. Insulin-producing cells derived in vitro required or expressed factors that regulate fetal beta cell differentiation; thus, the genetic programs normally controlling in vivo mouse islet development are similarly required in our system. Moreover, antibodies that recognize conserved orthologous cell-surface epitopes in human fetal pancreas allowed FACS-based enrichment of candidate islet progenitor cells expressing neurogenin 3. Our studies reveal previously undescribed strategies for prospective purification and analysis of pancreatic endocrine progenitor cells that should accelerate studies of islet development and replacement.

Menin controls growth of pancreatic beta-cells in pregnant mice and promotes gestational diabetes mellitus.

During pregnancy, maternal pancreatic islets grow to match dynamic physiological demands, but the mechanisms regulating adaptive islet growth in this setting are poorly understood. Here we show that menin, a protein previously characterized as an endocrine tumor suppressor and transcriptional regulator, controls islet growth in pregnant mice. Pregnancy stimulated proliferation of maternal pancreatic islet beta-cells that was accompanied by reduced islet levels of menin and its targets. Transgenic expression of menin in maternal beta-cells prevented islet expansion and led to hyperglycemia and impaired glucose tolerance, hallmark features of gestational diabetes. Prolactin, a hormonal regulator of pregnancy, repressed islet menin levels and stimulated beta-cell proliferation. These results expand our understanding of mechanisms underlying diabetes pathogenesis and reveal potential targets for therapy in diabetes.

Menin regulates pancreatic islet growth by promoting histone methylation and expression of genes encoding p27Kip1 and p18INK4c.

Menin, the product of the Men1 gene mutated in familial multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), regulates transcription in differentiated cells. Menin associates with and modulates the histone methyltransferase activity of a nuclear protein complex to activate gene expression. However, menin-dependent histone methyltransferase activity in endocrine cells has not been demonstrated, and the mechanism of endocrine tumor suppression by menin remains unclear. Here, we show that menin-dependent histone methylation maintains the in vivo expression of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors to prevent pancreatic islet tumors. In vivo expression of CDK inhibitors, including p27 and p18, and other cell cycle regulators is disrupted in mouse islet tumors lacking menin. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies reveal that menin directly associates with regions of the p27 and p18 promoters and increases methylation of lysine 4 (Lys-4) in histone H3 associated with these promoters. Moreover, H3 Lys-4 methylation associated with p27 and p18 is reduced in islet tumors from Men1 mutant mice. Thus, H3 Lys-4 methylation is a crucial function of menin in islet tumor suppression. These studies suggest an epigenetic mechanism of tumor suppression: by promoting histone modifications, menin maintains transcription at multiple loci encoding cell cycle regulators essential for endocrine growth control.