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Attenuation of FGF signalling in mouse beta-cells leads to diabetes

A W Hart1, N Baeza, A Apelqvist

  • 1Department of Microbiology and ULMM, Umeå University, Sweden.

Nature
|December 29, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1c (FGFR1c) signaling is crucial for maintaining adult mouse beta-cell function. Impaired FGFR1c signaling leads to diabetes, mimicking type-2 diabetes characteristics.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Diabetes Research

Background:

  • Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling plays a role in organ development and cell differentiation.
  • FGF signaling components are expressed in adult mouse beta-cells, suggesting a role in differentiated cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of FGF signaling, specifically FGFR1c and FGFR2b, in adult mouse beta-cell function.
  • To determine the relationship between FGFR1 signaling and the homeobox gene Ipf1/Pdx1 in glucose homeostasis.

Main Methods:

  • Expression analysis of FGF ligands and receptors in adult mouse beta-cells.
  • Perturbation of FGFR1c and FGFR2b signaling using dominant-negative receptor expression in mouse pancreas.
  • Assessment of diabetes phenotypes, beta-cell number, glucose transporter 2, proinsulin, and prohormone convertase expression.

Main Results:

  • Attenuated FGFR1c signaling, but not FGFR2b signaling, in mice led to age-dependent diabetes.
  • FGFR1c signaling deficiency resulted in decreased beta-cell number, impaired glucose transporter 2 expression, and increased proinsulin content.
  • Ipf1/Pdx1 is essential for FGFR1 signaling component expression in beta-cells, acting upstream to regulate glucose sensing and insulin processing.

Conclusions:

  • FGFR1c signaling is vital for maintaining differentiated beta-cell function and glucose homeostasis in adult mice.
  • Defects in FGFR1c signaling mimic key pathological features of type-2 diabetes.
  • Ipf1/Pdx1 acts upstream of FGFR1 signaling, highlighting a critical regulatory pathway for beta-cell function.

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