A radial axis defined by semaphorin-to-neuropilin signaling controls pancreatic islet morphogenesis.

ABSTRACT: The islets of Langerhans are endocrine organs characteristically dispersed throughout the pancreas. During development, endocrine progenitors delaminate, migrate radially and cluster to form islets. Despite the distinctive distribution of islets, spatially localized signals that control islet morphogenesis have not been discovered. Here, we identify a radial signaling axis that instructs developing islet cells to disperse throughout the pancreas. A screen of pancreatic extracellular signals identified factors that stimulated islet cell development. These included semaphorin 3a, a guidance cue in neural development without known functions in the pancreas. In the fetal pancreas, peripheral mesenchymal cells expressed Sema3a, while central nascent islet cells produced the semaphorin receptor

SUBMITTER: Pauerstein PT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5675443 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature