PUBLICATION

Rfx6 is an Ngn3-dependent winged helix transcription factor required for pancreatic islet cell development

Authors
Soyer, J., Flasse, L., Raffelsberger, W., Beucher, A., Orvain, C., Peers, B., Ravassard, P., Vermot, J., Voz, M.L., Mellitzer, G., and Gradwohl, G.
ID
ZDB-PUB-100105-31
Date
2010
Source
Development (Cambridge, England)   137(2): 203-212 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Peers, Bernard, Vermot, Julien, Voz, Marianne
Keywords
Neurogenin 3, Pancreas, Rfx, Cell differentiation, Endocrine, Transcription factor, Mouse, Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Endocrine Cells/cytology
  • Endocrine Cells/metabolism
  • Ghrelin/metabolism
  • Winged-Helix Transcription Factors/genetics
  • Winged-Helix Transcription Factors/metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors/genetics
  • Transcription Factors/metabolism
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
  • Embryo, Mammalian/metabolism
  • Glucagon/metabolism
  • Pancreas/cytology
  • Pancreas/embryology
  • Pancreas/metabolism
  • Homeodomain Proteins/genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Endoderm/metabolism
  • Zebrafish
  • Somatostatin/metabolism
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Stem Cells/cytology
  • Stem Cells/metabolism
  • Mice
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism*
  • Paired Box Transcription Factors/genetics
  • Paired Box Transcription Factors/metabolism
  • Islets of Langerhans/cytology*
  • Islets of Langerhans/metabolism*
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/genetics
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/metabolism*
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • In Situ Hybridization
(all 39)
PubMed
20040487 Full text @ Development
Abstract
The transcription factor neurogenin 3 (Neurog3 or Ngn3) controls islet cell fate specification in multipotent pancreatic progenitor cells in the mouse embryo. However, our knowledge of the genetic programs implemented by Ngn3, which control generic and islet subtype-specific properties, is still fragmentary. Gene expression profiling in isolated Ngn3-positive progenitor cells resulted in the identification of the uncharacterized winged helix transcription factor Rfx6. Rfx6 is initially expressed broadly in the gut endoderm, notably in Pdx1-positive cells in the developing pancreatic buds, and then becomes progressively restricted to the endocrine lineage, suggesting a dual function in both endoderm development and islet cell differentiation. Rfx6 is found in postmitotic islet progenitor cells in the embryo and is maintained in all developing and adult islet cell types. Rfx6 is dependent on Ngn3 and acts upstream of or in parallel with NeuroD, Pax4 and Arx transcription factors during islet cell differentiation. In zebrafish, the Rfx6 ortholog is similarly found in progenitors and hormone expressing cells of the islet lineage. Loss-of-function studies in zebrafish revealed that rfx6 is required for the differentiation of glucagon-, ghrelin- and somatostatin-expressing cells, which, in the absence of rfx6, are blocked at the progenitor stage. By contrast, beta cells, whose number is only slightly reduced, were no longer clustered in a compact islet. These data unveil Rfx6 as a novel regulator of islet cell development.
Genes / Markers
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
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Human Disease / Model
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Sequence Targeting Reagents
Target Reagent Reagent Type
rfx6MO1-rfx6MRPHLNO
rfx6MO2-rfx6MRPHLNO
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Fish
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Antibodies
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Orthology
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Engineered Foreign Genes
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