Distinct requirements for beta-catenin in pancreatic epithelial growth and patterning.

ABSTRACT: Pancreatic exocrine and endocrine lineages arise from multipotent pancreatic progenitor cells (MPCs). Exploiting the mechanisms that govern expansion and differentiation of these cells could enhance efforts to generate β-cells from stem cells. Although our prior work indicates that the canonical Wnt signaling component β-catenin is required qualitatively for exocrine acinar but not endocrine development, precisely how this requirement plays out at the level of MPCs and their lineage-restricted progeny is unknown. In addition, the contribution of β-catenin function to β-cell development remains controversial. To resolve the potential roles of β-catenin in development of MPCs and β-cells, we generated pancreas- and pre-endocrine-specific β-catenin knockout mice. Pancreas-specific loss of β-c

SUBMITTER: Baumgartner BK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4065238 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature