An Illustrated Review of Early Pancreas Development in the Mouse

Jørgensen, Mette C.; Ahnfelt-Rønne, Jonas; Hald, Jacob; Madsen, Ole; Serup, Palle; Hecksher‐Sørensen, Jacob

doi:10.1210/er.2007-0016

Cited by 329 publications

(332 citation statements)

References 185 publications

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“…In accordance with models for heterologous organ development processes in several species, the spatiotemporal expression pattern of such TFs, and their levels, are tightly controlled in normal pancreatogenesis. Because most of the studies of the above TFs have been extensively reviewed elsewhere (Jensen, 2004;Jorgensen et al, 2007;Oliver-Krasinski and Stoffers, 2008;Gittes, 2009), we focus here only on a few instructive examples, focusing on newly discovered roles in early MPC formation and maintenance, as well as highlighting some that are noticeably understudied and deserving future attention.…”

Section: Early Pancreas Transcriptional Program: Plasticity Of the Eamentioning

confidence: 99%

Pancreas organogenesis: From bud to plexus to gland

Pan

Wright

2011

Developmental Dynamics

529

594

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Pancreas oganogenesis comprises a coordinated and highly complex interplay of signaling events and transcriptional networks that guide a step-wise process of organ development from early bud specification all the way to the final mature organ state. Extensive research on pancreas development over the last few years, largely driven by a translational potential for pancreatic diseases (diabetes, pancreatic cancer, and so on), is markedly advancing our knowledge of these processes. It is a tenable goal that we will one day have a clear, complete picture of the transcriptional and signaling codes that control the entire organogenetic process, allowing us to apply this knowledge in a therapeutic context, by generating replacement cells in vitro, or perhaps one day to the whole organ in vivo. This review summarizes findings in the past 5 years that we feel are amongst the most significant in contributing to the deeper understanding of pancreas development. Rather than try to cover all aspects comprehensively, we have chosen to highlight interesting new concepts, and to discuss provocatively some of the more controversial findings or proposals. At the end of the review, we include a perspective section on how the whole pancreas differentiation process might be able to be unwound in a regulated fashion, or redirected, and suggest linkages to the possible reprogramming of other pancreatic cell-types in vivo, and to the optimization of the forward-directed-differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESC), or induced pluripotential cells (iPSC), towards mature b-cells. Developmental Dynamics 240:530-565,

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Section: Early Pancreas Transcriptional Program: Plasticity Of the Eamentioning

confidence: 99%

Pancreas organogenesis: From bud to plexus to gland

Pan

Wright

2011

Developmental Dynamics

529

594

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“…The secondary transition also marks an increase in the expression and/or relocalization of a number of transcription factors that are important in pancreatic development, including Pdx1, Ptf1a, Ngn3, Nkx2.2, NeuroD1, Pax4, Pax6, and Nkx6.1 (reviewed in Ref. 3). A large number of studies of these transcription factors have yielded a timeline of gene expression and determined which cell lineages are regulated by each transcription factor (2-7).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cooperative Transcriptional Regulation of the Essential Pancreatic Islet Gene NeuroD1 (Beta2) by Nkx2.2 and Neurogenin 3

Anderson

Torres

Solomon

et al. 2009

Journal of Biological Chemistry

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Nkx2.2 and NeuroD1 are two critical regulators of pancreatic ␤ cell development. Nkx2.2 is a homeodomain transcription factor that is essential for islet cell type specification and mature ␤ cell function. NeuroD1 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that is critical for islet ␤ cell maturation and maintenance. Although both proteins influence ␤ cell development directly downstream of the endocrine progenitor factor, neurogenin3 (Ngn3), a connection between the two proteins in the regulation of ␤ cell fate and function has yet to be established. In this study, we demonstrate that Nkx2.2 transcriptional activity is required to facilitate the activation of NeuroD1 by Ngn3. Furthermore, Nkx2.2 is necessary to maintain high levels of NeuroD1 expression in developing mouse and zebrafish islets and in mature ␤ cells. Interestingly, Nkx2.2 regulates NeuroD1 through two independent promoter elements, one that is bound and activated directly by Nkx2.2 and one that appears to be regulated by Nkx2.2 through an indirect mechanism. Together, these findings suggest that Nkx2.2 coordinately activates NeuroD1 with Ngn3 within the endocrine progenitor cell and also plays a role in the maintenance of NeuroD1 expression to regulate ␤ cell function in the mature islet. Collectively, these findings further define the conserved regulatory networks involved in islet ␤ cell formation and function.The pancreas is an intricate organ composed of exocrine tissue that secretes digestive enzymes into pancreatic ducts, and the endocrine islets of Langerhans that produce the metabolic hormones insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, pancreatic polypeptide, and ghrelin. The different pancreatic cell lineages arise during the critical developmental events referred to as the primary and secondary transitions (Ref. 1; reviewed in Ref. 2). The primary transition occurs between embryonic day (e) 8.5 and e11.5 2 and encompasses the initial patterning and specification of the pancreatic endoderm, which originates from the foregut. The secondary transition is the critical stage between e12.5 and e15.5 when endocrine and exocrine progenitors expand and a large second wave of differentiation is initiated. The secondary transition also marks an increase in the expression and/or relocalization of a number of transcription factors that are important in pancreatic development, including Pdx1, Ptf1a, Ngn3, Nkx2.2, NeuroD1, Pax4, Pax6, and Nkx6.1 (reviewed in Ref. 3). A large number of studies of these transcription factors have yielded a timeline of gene expression and determined which cell lineages are regulated by each transcription factor (2-7). Notably, temporal and spatial changes in many of the transcription factor expression profiles can re-program a progenitor or precursor cell to alter, prevent, or initiate endocrine differentiation (3, 8 -12). The cumulative findings of these studies have illustrated that the regulation of islet cell differentiation depends on complex relationships between the transcriptional regulatory cascades. These regulato...

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“…The collection and transport of these enzymes are facilitated by an intricate ductal network of branched epithelial tubules, such that enzymes secreted into smaller peripheral ducts ultimately feed into the larger main pancreatic duct, which in turn flows into the duodenum. This complex structure is established during embryonic development by a coordinated mechanism of progenitor cell proliferation and migration known as branching morphogenesis (Jorgensen et al, 2007). Some of the genetic and biochemical events directing this process are shared among the many organs served by ductal networks-such as the lung, breast, and kidney-and are also somewhat conserved across species (Lu and Werb, 2008).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Pancreatic Ductal Morphogenesis and the Pdx1 Homeodomain Transcription Factor

Wescott

Rovira

Reichert

et al. 2009

MBoC

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Embryonic development of the pancreas is marked by an early phase of dramatic morphogenesis, in which pluripotent progenitor cells of the developing pancreatic epithelium give rise to the full array of mature exocrine and endocrine cell types. The genetic determinants of acinar and islet cell lineages are somewhat well defined; however, the molecular mechanisms directing ductal formation and differentiation remain to be elucidated. The complex ductal architecture of the pancreas is established by a reiterative program of progenitor cell expansion and migration known as branching morphogenesis, or tubulogenesis, which proceeds in mouse development concomitantly with peak Pdx1 transcription factor expression. We therefore evaluated Pdx1 expression with respect to lineage-specific markers in embryonic sections of the pancreas spanning this critical period of duct formation and discovered an unexpected population of nonislet Pdx1-positive cells displaying physical traits of branching. We then established a 3D cell culture model of branching morphogenesis using primary pancreatic duct cells and identified a transient surge of Pdx1 expression exclusive to branching cells. From these observations we propose that Pdx1 might be involved temporally in a program of gene expression sufficient to facilitate the biochemical and morphological changes necessary for branching morphogenesis. INTRODUCTIONThe primary function of the exocrine pancreas is to produce and secrete digestive enzymes for export to the small intestine. The collection and transport of these enzymes are facilitated by an intricate ductal network of branched epithelial tubules, such that enzymes secreted into smaller peripheral ducts ultimately feed into the larger main pancreatic duct, which in turn flows into the duodenum. This complex structure is established during embryonic development by a coordinated mechanism of progenitor cell proliferation and migration known as branching morphogenesis (Jorgensen et al., 2007). Some of the genetic and biochemical events directing this process are shared among the many organs served by ductal networks-such as the lung, breast, and kidney-and are also somewhat conserved across species (Lu and Werb, 2008). In general, branching morphogenesis is initiated by mesenchymal signaling to epithelial cell growth factor receptors, inducing multiple responses within those epithelial cells to 1) undertake temporary cytoskeletal reorganization that will facilitate cell motility, 2) inhibit proliferation, and 3) suppress the original mesenchymal growth factor signal (Metzger and Krasnow, 1999;Affolter et al., 2003). The specific mesenchymal growth factors and epithelial growth factor receptors, their cognate signaling pathways, and transcription factors involved in such processes contributing to branching morphogenesis in the pancreas are not well understood and remain to be elucidated.Pancreatic organogenesis is dependent on the homeodomain transcription factor Pdx1, as demonstrated by pancreatic agenesis observed in Pdx1-null mic...

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An Illustrated Review of Early Pancreas Development in the Mouse

Cited by 329 publications

References 185 publications

Pancreas organogenesis: From bud to plexus to gland

Pancreas organogenesis: From bud to plexus to gland

Cooperative Transcriptional Regulation of the Essential Pancreatic Islet Gene NeuroD1 (Beta2) by Nkx2.2 and Neurogenin 3

Pancreatic Ductal Morphogenesis and the Pdx1 Homeodomain Transcription Factor

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