Bipotential mouse embryonic liver (BMEL) cells spontaneously express Pdx1 and Ngn3 but do not undergo further pancreatic differentiation upon Hes1 down-regulation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Liver-to-pancreas conversion offers new possibilities for beta-cell engineering for type 1 diabetes therapy. Among conceivable sources of liver cells, we focused on BMEL cells. These untransformed mouse embryonic liver cells have been reproducibly isolated from different inbred mice strains and have the potential to differentiate into hepatocytes and cholangiocytes in vitro and in vivo.

Findings

Strikingly, we find here that adherent BMEL cells display functional similarities with multipotent pancreatic precursor cells, namely Pdx1 and Ngn3 expression, and further express Hnf6 in floating aggregate culture. Hes1, a direct repressor of Ngn3 and pancreatic endocrine commitment, is expressed in adherent BMEL cells and decreases with time in aggregate culture. However

SUBMITTER: Delisle JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2649931 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature