PUBLICATION

Whole organism small molecule screen identifies novel regulators of pancreatic endocrine development

Authors
Helker, C.S.M., Mullapudi, S.T., Mueller, L.M., Preussner, J., Tunaru, S., Skog, O., Kwon, H.B., Kreuder, F., Lancman, J.J., Bonnavion, R., Dong, P.D.S., Looso, M., Offermanns, S., Korsgren, O., Spagnoli, F.M., Stainier, D.Y.R.
ID
ZDB-PUB-190601-2
Date
2019
Source
Development (Cambridge, England)   146(14): (Journal)
Registered Authors
Dong, P. Duc, Helker, Christian, Lancman, Joseph, Stainier, Didier
Keywords
Pdx1, Small molecule screen, Transdifferentiation, α-cells, β-cells
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • COS Cells
  • Cell Differentiation/drug effects
  • Cell Differentiation/physiology
  • Cell Transdifferentiation/drug effects
  • Cell Transdifferentiation/genetics
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical/methods*
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/drug effects
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/isolation & purification
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/pharmacology
  • Homeodomain Proteins/genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism
  • Humans
  • Insulin-Secreting Cells/cytology
  • Insulin-Secreting Cells/drug effects
  • Insulin-Secreting Cells/physiology
  • Islets of Langerhans/drug effects
  • Islets of Langerhans/embryology*
  • Islets of Langerhans/growth & development
  • Islets of Langerhans/metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Models, Animal*
  • Organogenesis/drug effects*
  • Organogenesis/genetics
  • Small Molecule Libraries/analysis*
  • Small Molecule Libraries/isolation & purification
  • Trans-Activators/genetics
  • Trans-Activators/metabolism
  • Valproic Acid/isolation & purification
  • Valproic Acid/pharmacology
  • Zebrafish*/embryology
  • Zebrafish*/genetics
PubMed
31142539 Full text @ Development
Abstract
An early step in pancreas development is marked by the expression of the Pdx1 transcription factor within the pancreatic endoderm where it is required for the specification of all endocrine cell types. Subsequently, Pdx1 expression becomes restricted to the β-cell lineage where it plays a central role in β-cell function. This pivotal role of Pdx1 at various stages of pancreas development makes it an attractive target to enhance pancreatic β-cell differentiation and increase β-cell function. In this study, we used a newly generated zebrafish reporter to screen over 8,000 small molecules for modulators of pdx1 expression. We found four hit compounds and validated their efficacy at different stages of pancreas development. Valproic acid (VPA), a HDAC inhibitor, induces pancreatic endoderm formation, while inhibition of TGF-β signaling leads to the transdifferentiation of α-cells to β-cells. HC Toxin, another HDAC inhibitor, enhances β-cell function in primary mouse and human islets. Thus, using a whole-organism screening strategy, this study identified new pdx1 expression modulators which can be used to influence different steps in pancreas and β-cell development.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Show all Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping