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Efficient Generation of Pancreas/Duodenum Homeobox Protein 1+ Posterior Foregut/Pancreatic Progenitors from hPSCs in Adhesion Cultures
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A Conserved Notochord Enhancer Controls Pancreas Development in Vertebrates
João Pedro Amorim1, Ana Gali-Macedo1, Hugo Marcelino1
1i3S (Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; IBMC (Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Cell Reports
|July 9, 2020
Summary
The notochord
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Molecular biology
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- The notochord is a key signaling center in vertebrate development.
- Its role in pancreas development is established, but molecular mechanisms are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the molecular mechanism of notochord's role in pancreas development.
- To investigate the function of nog2 in zebrafish pancreas development.
Main Methods:
- Zebrafish nog2 loss-of-function mutants were generated.
- Notochord enhancers were identified and analyzed.
- Nog2 diffusion was traced from the notochord to pancreatic progenitors.
Main Results:
- Loss of nog2 impaired beta cell differentiation and reduced pancreatic progenitors.
- Nog2 is expressed in the notochord and diffuses to the pancreas.
- A conserved notochord enhancer for Nog was found in vertebrates.
Conclusions:
- Nog2, a BMP antagonist from the notochord, is crucial for pancreas and beta cell development.
- The notochord-pancreas signaling axis involving Nog2 is conserved across vertebrates.
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