Differentiation of pancreatic endocrine progenitors reversibly blocked by premature induction of MafA.

ABSTRACT: Specification and maturation of insulin(+) cells accompanies a transition in expression of Maf family of transcription factors. In development, MafA is expressed after specification of insulin(+) cells that are expressing another Maf factor, MafB; after birth, these insulin(+) MafA(+) cells stop MafB expression and gain glucose responsiveness. Current differentiation protocols for deriving insulin-producing β-cells from stem cells result in β-cells lacking both MafA expression and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. So driving expression of MafA, a β-cell maturation factor in endocrine precursors could potentially generate glucose-responsive MafA(+) β cells. Using inducible transgenic mice, we characterized the final stages of β-cell differentiation and maturation with MafA pause/release

SUBMITTER: He KH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3918466 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature