Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2025

Efficient Generation of Pancreas/Duodenum Homeobox Protein 1+ Posterior Foregut/Pancreatic Progenitors from hPSCs in Adhesion Cultures
Published on: March 27, 2019
Epigenetic modulation of cell fate during pancreas development
Shilpak Bele1, Anthony S Wokasch2, Maureen Gannon1,2,3,4
1Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2213 Garland Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
Abstract:
Epigenetic modifications to DNA and its associated proteins affect cell plasticity and cell fate restrictions throughout embryonic development. Development of the vertebrate pancreas is characterized by initial is an over-lapping expression of a set of transcriptional regulators in a defined region of the posterior foregut endoderm that collectively promote pancreas progenitor specification and proliferation. As development progresses, these transcription factors segregate into distinct pancreatic lineages, with some being maintained in specific subsets of terminally differentiated pancreas cell types throughout adulthood. Here we describe the progressive stages and cell fate restrictions that occur during pancreas development and the relevant known epigenetic regulatory events that drive the dynamic expression patterns of transcription factors that regulate pancreas development. In addition, we highlight how changes in epigenetic marks can affect susceptibility to pancreas diseases (such as diabetes), adult pancreas cell plasticity, and the ability to derive replacement insulin-producing β cells for the treatment of diabetes.
Related Concept Videos
Cell Specific Gene Expression
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
Cells and Secretions of the Pancreas
Exocrine function is carried out by acinar cells, organized into clusters known as acini. These cells contribute to digestion by releasing substantial quantities of enzyme-rich, alkaline digestive juices.
Concurrently, the dispersed clusters of endocrine cells throughout the...
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion
Insulin and C-peptide are...
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...

