Zebrafish mnx1 controls cell fate choice in the developing endocrine pancreas.

ABSTRACT: The vertebrate endocrine pancreas has the crucial function of maintaining blood sugar homeostasis. This role is dependent upon the development and maintenance of pancreatic islets comprising appropriate ratios of hormone-producing cells. In all vertebrate models studied, an initial precursor population of Pdx1-expressing endoderm cells gives rise to separate endocrine and exocrine cell lineages. Within the endocrine progenitor pool a variety of transcription factors influence cell fate decisions, such that hormone-producing differentiated cell types ultimately arise, including the insulin-producing beta cells and the antagonistically acting glucagon-producing alpha cells. In previous work, we established that the development of all pancreatic lineages requires retinoic acid (RA) signaling.

SUBMITTER: Dalgin G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3190380 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature