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The splanchnic mesenchyme is the tissue of origin for pancreatic fibroblasts during homeostasis and tumorigenesis.

ABSTRACT: Pancreatic cancer is characterized by abundant desmoplasia, a dense stroma composed of extra-cellular and cellular components, with cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) being the major cellular component. However, the tissue(s) of origin for CAFs remains controversial. Here we determine the tissue origin of pancreatic CAFs through comprehensive lineage tracing studies in mice. We find that the splanchnic mesenchyme, the fetal cell layer surrounding the endoderm from which the pancreatic epithelium originates, gives rise to the majority of resident fibroblasts in the normal pancreas. In a genetic mouse model of pancreatic cancer, resident fibroblasts expand and constitute the bulk of CAFs. Single cell RNA profiling identifies gene expression signatures that are shared among the fetal splanchnic mesenchyme, adult fibroblasts and CAFs, suggesting a persistent transcriptional program underlies splanchnic lineage differentiation. Together, this study defines the phylogeny of the mesenchymal component of the pancreas and provides insights into pancreatic morphogenesis and tumorigenesis.

SUBMITTER: Han L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9810714 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The splanchnic mesenchyme is the tissue of origin for pancreatic fibroblasts during homeostasis and tumorigenesis.

Han Lu L Wu Yongxia Y Fang Kun K Sweeney Sean S Roesner Ulyss K UK Parrish Melodie M Patel Khushbu K Walter Tom T Piermattei Julia J Trimboli Anthony A Lefler Julia J Timmers Cynthia D CD Yu Xue-Zhong XZ Jin Victor X VX Zimmermann Michael T MT Mathison Angela J AJ Urrutia Raul R Ostrowski Michael C MC Leone Gustavo G

Nature communications 20230103 1

Pancreatic cancer is characterized by abundant desmoplasia, a dense stroma composed of extra-cellular and cellular components, with cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) being the major cellular component. However, the tissue(s) of origin for CAFs remains controversial. Here we determine the tissue origin of pancreatic CAFs through comprehensive lineage tracing studies in mice. We find that the splanchnic mesenchyme, the fetal cell layer surrounding the endoderm from which the pancreatic epitheli ...[more]

PMID: 36596776

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Project description:The developing pancreatic epithelium gives rise to all endocrine and exocrine cells of the mature organ. During organogenesis, the epithelial cells receive essential signals from the overlying mesenchyme. Previous studies, focusing on ex vivo tissue explants or complete knockout mice, have identified an important role for the mesenchyme in regulating the expansion of progenitor cells in the early pancreas epithelium. However, due to the lack of genetic tools directing expression specifically to the mesenchyme, the potential roles of this supporting tissue in vivo, especially in guiding later stages of pancreas organogenesis, have not been elucidated. We employed transgenic tools and fetal surgical techniques to ablate mesenchyme via Cre-mediated mesenchymal expression of Diphtheria Toxin (DT) at the onset of pancreas formation, and at later developmental stages via in utero injection of DT into transgenic mice expressing the Diphtheria Toxin receptor (DTR) in this tissue. Our results demonstrate that mesenchymal cells regulate pancreatic growth and branching at both early and late developmental stages by supporting proliferation of precursors and differentiated cells, respectively. Interestingly, while cell differentiation was not affected, the expansion of both the endocrine and exocrine compartments was equally impaired. To further elucidate signals required for mesenchymal cell function, we eliminated β-catenin signaling and determined that it is a critical pathway in regulating mesenchyme survival and growth. Our study presents the first in vivo evidence that the embryonic mesenchyme provides critical signals to the epithelium throughout pancreas organogenesis. The findings are novel and relevant as they indicate a critical role for the mesenchyme during late expansion of endocrine and exocrine compartments. In addition, our results provide a molecular mechanism for mesenchymal expansion and survival by identifying β-catenin signaling as an essential mediator of this process. These results have implications for developing strategies to expand pancreas progenitors and β-cells for clinical transplantation.

Project description:The murine pancreas buds from the ventral embryonic endoderm at approximately 8.75 dpc and a second pancreas bud emerges from the dorsal endoderm by 9.0 dpc. Although it is clear that secreted signals from adjacent mesoderm-derived sources are required for both the appropriate emergence and further refinement of the pancreatic endoderm, neither the exact signals nor the requisite tissue sources have been defined in mammalian systems. Herein we use DiI fate mapping of cultured murine embryos to identify the embryonic sources of both the early inductive and later condensed pancreatic mesenchyme. Despite being capable of supporting pancreas induction from dorsal endoderm in co-culture experiments, we find that in the context of the developing embryo, the dorsal aortae as well as the paraxial, intermediate, and lateral mesoderm derivatives only transiently associate with the dorsal pancreas bud, producing descendants that are decidedly anterior to the pancreas bud. Unlike these other mesoderm derivatives, the axial (notochord) descendants maintain association with the dorsal pre-pancreatic endoderm and early pancreas bud. This fate mapping data points to the notochord as the likely inductive source in vivo while also revealing dynamic morphogenetic movements displayed by individual mesodermal subtypes. Because none of the mesoderm examined above produced the pancreatic mesenchyme that condenses around the induced bud to support exocrine and endocrine differentiation, we also sought to identify the mesodermal origins of this mesenchyme. We identify a portion of the coelomic mesoderm that contributes to the condensed pancreatic mesenchyme. In conclusion, we identify a portion of the notochord as a likely source of the signals required to induce and maintain the early dorsal pancreas bud, demonstrate that the coelomic mesothelium contributes to the dorsal and ventral pancreatic mesenchyme, and provide insight into the dynamic morphological rearrangements of mesoderm-derived tissues during early organogenesis stages of mammalian development.

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The splanchnic mesenchyme is the tissue of origin for pancreatic fibroblasts during homeostasis and tumorigenesis.

Publications

The splanchnic mesenchyme is the tissue of origin for pancreatic fibroblasts during homeostasis and tumorigenesis.

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