EphB3 marks delaminating endocrine progenitor cells in the developing pancreas.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Understanding the process by which pancreatic beta-cells acquire their "fate" is critical to the development of in vitro directed differentiation protocols for cell replacement therapies for diabetics. To date, these efforts are hampered by a paucity of markers that distinguish pancreatic endocrine cells at different stages of differentiation.

Results

Here, we identify EphB3 as a novel pro-endocrine marker and use its expression to track delaminating islet lineages. First, we provide a detailed developmental expression profile for EphB3 and other EphB family members in the embryonic pancreas. We demonstrate that EphB3 transiently marks endocrine cells as they delaminate from the pancreatic epithelium, prior to their differentiation. Using a Tet-inducible EphB3(rtT

SUBMITTER: Villasenor A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3328632 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature