Transcriptional Programming of Adult Human Pancreas-Derived Progenitor Cells into Functional Islet-Like Organoids
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE332956 | GEO | 2026/05/29
REPOSITORIES: GEO
Similar Datasets
Project description:Pancreatic islets undergo coordinated cellular remodeling during obesity-induced insulin resistance. However, longitudinal changes across endocrine and non-endocrine compartments remain largely unexplored. We present a comprehensive high-resolution atlas using longitudinal single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-cell ATAC sequencing (scATAC-seq) on islets from C57BL/6 mice subjected to high-fat diet (HFD) feeding for 8, 16, and 24 weeks, along with age-matched controls on regular chow (RC). We mapped dynamic changes in islet cell composition and transcriptional states. Trajectory inference indicated diversification of beta-cell programs into adaptive and inflammatory states under HFD. Progression of insulin resistance induced shrinkage and transcriptional remodeling of glucagon-secreting alpha-cells, marked by upregulation of genes related to intracellular transport and oxidative stress, accompanied by the emergence of a polyhormonal alpha-cell subpopulation. Similarly, we identified delta-cell subpopulations exhibiting beta-like transcriptional signatures and polyhormonal identity under nutritional stress, suggesting adaptive delta-cell plasticity that may partially compensate for beta-cell loss during insulin resistance. The islet microenvironment exhibited robust expansion of proinflammatory M1 macrophages, reaching a plateau by 16 weeks of HFD, indicating niche saturation. Cell-cell communication analyses revealed disruption of key signaling pathways within endocrine and between endocrine and non-endocrine cells under HFD conditions. Notably, CCL27a–chemokine receptor signaling between beta-cells and M1 macrophages was significantly reduced in HFD islets, likely driven by reduced Ccl27a expression and chromatin accessibility in a distinct beta cell subpopulation, which we further validated using INS-1 cells exposed to HFD-like conditions. Comparative analysis with scRNA seq of human islets confirmed conserved stress signatures. Furthermore, genetic variants at the CCL27 locus were associated with increased T2D risk and HOMA-IR in human populations, establishing a novel link between beta-cell stress and systemic inflammation. This resource provides a hierarchical framework for understanding islet failure and identifies potential therapeutic nodes for type 2 diabetes.
2026-05-25 | GSE329967 | GEO
Project description:deBack2012 - Lineage Specification in Pancreas Development
This model of two neighbouring pancreas precursor cells, describes the exocrine versus endocrine lineage specification process. To account for the tissue scale patterns, this couplet model has been extended to hundreds of coupled cells.
This model is described in the article:
On the role of lateral stabilization during early patterning in the pancreas
de Back W., Zhou JX, Brusch L
J. R. Soc. Interface 6 February 2013 vol. 10 no. 79 20120766
Abstract:
The cell fate decision of multi-potent pancreatic progenitor cells between the exocrine and endocrine lineages is regulated by Notch signalling, mediated by cell–cell interactions. However, canonical models of Notch-mediated lateral inhibition cannot explain the scattered spatial distribution of endocrine cells and the cell-type ratio in the developing pancreas. Based on evidence from acinar-to-islet cell transdifferentiation in vitro, we propose that lateral stabilization, i.e. positive feedback between adjacent progenitor cells, acts in parallel with lateral inhibition to regulate pattern formation in the pancreas. A simple mathematical model of transcriptional regulation and cell–cell interaction reveals the existence of multi-stability of spatial patterns whose simultaneous occurrence causes scattering of endocrine cells in the presence of noise. The scattering pattern allows for control of the endocrine-to-exocrine cell-type ratio by modulation of lateral stabilization strength. These theoretical results suggest a previously unrecognized role for lateral stabilization in lineage specification, spatial patterning and cell-type ratio control in organ development.
This model is hosted on BioModels Database
and identified by: MODEL1211010000
.
To cite BioModels Database, please use: BioModels Database: An enhanced, curated and annotated resource for published quantitative kinetic models
.
To the extent possible under law, all copyright and related or neighbouring rights to this encoded model have been dedicated to the public domain worldwide. Please refer to CC0 Public Domain Dedication
for more information.
2024-09-02 | BIOMD0000000435 | BioModels
Project description:This experiment used RNA-Seq technology to explore gene expression in mouse Ngn3^GFP/+ [het] FACS sorted pancreatic cells at E15.5 (commited endocrine progenitor cells) and in Ngn3^GFP/GFP [null] at E15.5 (defective endocrine progenitor cells). This experiment is designed to understand the gene expression alteration in the endocrine lineage at different embryonic days. The aim is to understand both Ngn3 dependent and independent gene expression profiles so as to reveal the instructive signals that specfy the collective endocrine islet cell fate or specific islet cell type.
2015-10-01 | E-MTAB-3352 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Little is known about the molecular mechanisms that underlie the allocation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived pancreatic progenitors (hPSC-PPs) into specific endocrine lineages. By systematically interrogating the components of pancreatic differentiation media, we identify methods to reliably generate hPSC-PPs with high-grade NKX6-1 expression, but find that this alone has a minimal effect on modulating the endocrine composition of hPSC-derived islets. We then test the effect of altering the signaling cues provided after progenitor specification and find that the BMP and FGF/MEK pathways can be manipulated to shift hPSC-PPs between islet and non-islet endocrine lineages. We further find that the method of hPSC-PP specification integrates with these later cues in a way that can be leveraged to selectively increase the frequencies of specific islet lineages or enterochromaffin (EC)-like cells. Using a model of disrupted murine islet development that gives rise to pancreatic EC-like cells, we identify prolonged NEUROG3 expression as a conserved feature associated with both human and murine pancreatic EC-like cell differentiation. In addition to expanding our understanding of pancreatic endocrine lineage allocation, these findings provide some of the first tools to fine-tune composition of hPSC-derived islets for research and therapeutic applications.
2026-02-10 | GSE269266 | GEO
Project description:Endocrine islet beta cells comprise heterogenous cell subsets. Yet the origin, stability, and physiological significance of these subsets remain largely unknown. Using combinatorial cell lineage tracing, scRNA-seq, and DNA methylation analysis, we show here that embryonic islet progenitors with differential gene expression and DNA methylation produce stable beta-cell subtypes of different function and viability in adult mice. Differentially expressed genes, including the Myt transcription factors, voltage-gated channels, and Ca2+-sensor synaptotagmins, contribute to the functional differences of these subtypes. Maternal overnutrition, a major diabetes risk factor, reduces the proportion of endocrine progenitors of the better-functionality beta-cell subtype. Intriguingly, the gene signature that defines mouse beta-cell subtypes can reliably divide human cells into two populations, with the proportion of better-functionality beta cells reduced in diabetic donors. These results establish that some beta-cell subtypes are determined via DNA methylation in embryonic islet progenitors, which is regulated by diabetes-causing maternal factors. The implication is that modulating DNA methylation in islet progenitors can be explored to improve beta-cell function in the prevention and therapy of diabetes.
2025-04-22 | GSE255135 | GEO
Project description:In the past decade, several transcription factors critical for pancreas development have been identified. Despite this success, many of the cell surface and extracellular factors necessary for proper islet morphogenesis and function remain uncharacterized. Previous studies have shown that transgenic over-expression of the transcription factor HNF6 specifically in the pancreatic endocrine cell lineage resulted in the disruption of islet morphogenesis, including dysfunctional endocrine cell sorting, increased islet size, and failure of islets to migrate away from the ductal epithelium. We exploited the dysmorphic islets in pdx1PBHnf6 animals as a tool to identify factors important for islet morphogenesis. Genome-wide microarray analysis was used to identify differences in the gene expression profiles of late gestation and early postnatal pancreas tissue from wild type and pdx1PBHnf6 animals. We report the identification of genes with an altered expression in HNF6 Tg animals and highlight factors with potential importance in islet morphogenesis. Experiment Overall Design: Whole genome microarray analysis was used to identify differences in the gene expression profiles of late gestation and early postnatal pancreas tissue from wild type (WT) animals and HNF6 transgenic animals at a time when the events of normal islet morphogenesis are occurring (e18.5 and postnatal day 1). RNA was isolated from individual pancreata at the appropriate developmental stage. Highly pure samples were pooled according to their genotype (3-5 animals per pool) in order to obtain an adequate quantity of RNA for Affymetrix GeneChip analysis. Twelve samples were run in total, 3 replicates each of 4 groups: embryonic day 18.5, wild type mouse; embryonic day 18.5, HNF6 Transgenic mouse; post-natal day 1, wild type mouse; post-natal day 1, HNF6 Transgenic mouse.
2008-04-06 | E-GEOD-4926 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:In the past decade, several transcription factors critical for pancreas development have been identified. Despite this success, many of the cell surface and extracellular factors necessary for proper islet morphogenesis and function remain uncharacterized. Previous studies have shown that transgenic over-expression of the transcription factor HNF6 specifically in the pancreatic endocrine cell lineage resulted in the disruption of islet morphogenesis, including dysfunctional endocrine cell sorting, increased islet size, and failure of islets to migrate away from the ductal epithelium. We exploited the dysmorphic islets in pdx1PBHnf6 animals as a tool to identify factors important for islet morphogenesis. Genome-wide microarray analysis was used to identify differences in the gene expression profiles of late gestation and early postnatal pancreas tissue from wild type and pdx1PBHnf6 animals. We report the identification of genes with an altered expression in HNF6 Tg animals and highlight factors with potential importance in islet morphogenesis. Keywords: disease state analysis, developmental stage analysis
2008-03-01 | GSE4926 | GEO
Project description:Endocrine islet beta cells comprise heterogenous cell subsets. Yet the origin, stability, and physiological significance of these subsets remain largely unknown. Using combinatorial cell lineage tracing, scRNA-seq, and DNA methylation analysis, we show here that embryonic islet progenitors with differential gene expression and DNA methylation produce stable beta-cell subtypes of different function and viability in adult mice. Differentially expressed genes, including the Myt transcription factors, voltage-gated channels, and Ca2+-sensor synaptotagmins, contribute to the functional differences of these subtypes. Maternal overnutrition, a major diabetes risk factor, reduces the proportion of endocrine progenitors of the better-functionality beta-cell subtype. Intriguingly, the gene signature that defines mouse beta-cell subtypes can reliably divide human cells into two populations, with the proportion of better-functionality beta cells reduced in diabetic donors. These results establish that some beta-cell subtypes are determined via DNA methylation in embryonic islet progenitors, which is regulated by diabetes-causing maternal factors. The implication is that modulating DNA methylation in islet progenitors can be explored to improve beta-cell function in the prevention and therapy of diabetes.
2025-02-01 | GSE254955 | GEO
Project description:The impact of maternal diet on endocrine islet progenitor cells in mice
| PRJNA1071543 | ENA
Project description:Stem cell-derived tissues could transform disease research and therapy, yet most methods generate functionally immature products. We investigate how human stem cells differentiate into pancreatic islets in vitro by profiling DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility, and histone modification changes. We find that enhancer potential is reset upon lineage commitment, and show how pervasive epigenetic priming steers endocrine cell fates. Modeling islet differentiation and maturation regulatory circuits reveals genes critical for generating endocrine cells and identifies circadian control as limiting for in vitro islet function. Entrainment to circadian feeding/fasting cycles triggers islet metabolic maturation by inducing cyclic synthesis of energy metabolism and insulin secretion effectors, including antiphasic insulin and glucagon pulses. Following entrainment, stem cell-derived islets gain persistent chromatin changes and rhythmic insulin responses with a raised glucose threshold, a hallmark of functional maturity, and function within days of transplantation. Thus, stem cell-derived tissues are amenable to functional improvement by circadian modulation.
2019-11-16 | GSE140501 | GEO