C-met及相关基因在m大鼠胰腺发育功能完善中的表达

目的：研究原癌基因c—met及其相关基因在大鼠胰腺发育及细胞功能完善过程中的表达。方法：采用高密度寡核苷酸芯片（Affymetrix芯片）对孕12．5（E12．5）、E15．5和E18．5、新生、成年胰腺进行基因转录水平分析,并用RT—PCR验证基因在大鼠胰腺不同发育时期的表达。结果：c—met基因在E15．5、E18．5较成年特异高表达。芯片中c—met转录调控基因和信号传导通路相关基因的表达趋势与c—met高度相似。RT—PCR（所用引物设计区域与芯片相同）验证,c—met表达趋势与芯片结果相符;与芯片c—met探针所用引物不同RT—PCR,结果却在各发育阶段呈现与芯片不同的表达趋势。结论：提示c—met可能在胰腺发育细胞功能完善的关键阶段起调控作用,参与胚胎胰腺发育中晚期细胞功能完善的信号传导过程。并且c—met在胰腺发育中发挥作用有可能存在不同转录本。     

大鼠胰腺胚胎发育功能相关基因表达谱的分析

目的:研究大鼠胰腺胚胎发育不同阶段的基因表达谱,对比其功能相关基因随大鼠胰腺发育的变化.方法:采用显微分离及提取技术获得胚胎发育不同阶段胰腺组织并提取RNA,采用高密度寡核普酸芯片(Affemetrix芯片)对胚胎发育至第12.5天、15.5天、18.5天胚胎胰腺及成年胰腺进行基因转录水平分析,用生物信息学方法分析具体基因的表达情况.结果:胰腺的生物学功能尤其beta细胞功能相关基因insulin RNA,amylopsin RNA,GLUT-2 RNA等在胚胎15.5及18.5天显著高表达.结论:E15.5到E18.5直至出生是胰腺功能完善和成熟的阶段,这个时期以细胞功能成熟为主.     

大鼠胰腺发育过程中AFP动态表达的意义

目的:探索大鼠胰腺发育过程中AFP动态表达的意义.方法:采用高密度寡核苷酸芯片对胚胎12.5天(E12.5)、E15.5、E18.5、初生和成年大鼠胰腺进行基因转录水平分析.结果:AFP显著高表达于E18.5大鼠胰腺,AFP在胚胎期的动态表达趋势与胰腺功能细胞标志物以及可能介导AFP促细胞增殖效应的有关信号系统成员的表达趋势一致.结论:AFP在大鼠胰腺发育过程中动态表达的生物学意义可能在于参与胰腺发育调控.     

大鼠胰腺发育不同阶段基因表达分析

目的:探讨大鼠胰腺发育不同阶段基因表达规律.方法:运用高通量基因芯片技术检测大鼠胰腺从胚胎12.5天(E12.5)到成年不同时期基因表达情况.结果:基因芯片所涵盖的基因59%在E12.5有表达,65%在15.5有表达,63%在E18.8有表达,53%在新生胰腺中有表达,38%在成年胰腺中有表达.E18.5相对于E15.5表达上调的基因中代谢相关的酶类有121条,占上调基因的18.2%,E18.5相对于E15.5表达下调的基因主要是一些转录因子和骨架蛋白.结论:在大鼠胰腺的发育过程中,早中期以细胞分化为主,而后期则是以细胞功能成熟为主.     

大鼠不同发育阶段胰腺Wnt5a的表达

目的:探讨大鼠胰腺不同发育阶段与胰岛形成和功能完善相关基因的表达趋势.方法:分离孕12.5d(E12.5)、E15.5d(E15.5)、18.5d(E18.5),新生(P0),生后14天(P14)、21d(P21)及成年(AP)大鼠胰腺组织,采用高密度寡核苷酸芯片对E12.5、E15.5、E18.5、P0和AP胰腺进行基因转录水平分析,并用RT-PCR验证wnt5a在不同发育时期的表达.结果:与胰岛功能相关基因多从胚胎18.5d开始出现明显高表达;与细胞迁移、聚集黏附相关基因多在胚胎18.5d高表达;WNT信号通路相关基因在胚胎15.5d表达量最高,wnt5a在胚胎15.5d表达量达到高峰.结论:wnt5a可能与胰岛形成、功能完善及出生后的胰腺重塑有关.     

大鼠不同发育时期胰腺相关蛋白的差异表达

探讨大鼠胰腺不同发育时期相关蛋白的差异表达,应用显微技术分离了大鼠孕15.5天,孕18.5天胚胎胰腺和新生鼠及成年鼠的胰腺,提取其蛋白质后,用固相pH梯度双向聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和质谱分析等蛋白质组学方法,得到了4个不同发育时期的蛋白质表达谱.对其中的6个在孕18.5天胚胎胰腺中有高丰度表达,而在成年鼠胰腺中缺失的蛋白质点,4个在成年胰腺中特异表达的蛋白质点, 8个在成年胰腺中表达明显下调的蛋白质点和1个在成年中表达上调的点,进行了肽质量指纹分析和蛋白质鉴定,共获得18个点的肽质量指纹图.经BIOWORK等软件搜索大鼠非冗余蛋白质数据库来鉴定其身份,发现其中7个点为大鼠甲胎蛋白（AFP）、5个点为胰脂酶相关蛋白1前体、1个点为微管蛋白β、2个点为蛋白二硫异构酶、1个为FLN29基因产物的类似物、1个为胰蛋白酶V-A前体、1个为过氧化物氧化还原酶4.其中AFP为特异表达于大鼠胚胎期及新生期胰腺的蛋白质,在孕18.5天的胰腺中表达量最高,在成年胰腺中极低表达.对它们的功能和与胚胎胰腺代谢调节功能完善过程的可能关系进行了初步探讨.     

胃蛋白酶C基因在大鼠胃底腺发育过程中上皮细胞内的表达

胃蛋白酶原是胃蛋白酶的前体,是脊椎动物中普遍存在的非特异性蛋白消化酶,胃蛋白酶的生物学特性及分子特性已得到了充分研究,虽然有许多于胃蛋白酶产生细胞的研究报告,但胃蛋白酶原基因在这些细胞的表达却知之甚少,本研究采用地高辛标记的RNA探针,用原位杂交的方法研究了大鼠胃底腺中胃蛋白酶产生细胞的个体发育,研究发现,大鼠胃腺在胚胎18．5天开始出现,但没有形态分化;胃蛋白酶mRNA在出生后3．5天首次被原位杂交法检出。胃蛋白酶产生细胞在出生后8周发育成熟,胃蛋白酶的mRNA表达在主细胞和颈粘液细胞内,其发育可分为4个阶段：（1）胚胎18．5天至出生后0．5天;（2）出生后3．5天至2周;（3）出生后3周至4周,;（4）出生后8周,在胃底腺发育过程中,胃蛋白酶mRNA的表达只局限于某种特定的细胞,这些细胞的分布具有明确的阶段特异性,因此,我们认为胃蛋白酶C可作为胃上皮细胞分化的分子标志。     

大鼠胰腺发育中原癌基因c-met的表达及蛋白定位

目的:研究原癌基因c-met在大鼠胰腺发育不同阶段的表达及定位.方法:采用RT-PCR技术检测c-met基因在大鼠胰腺不同发育时期:孕15.5天(E15.5)和孕18.5天、新生、生后14天(P14)、P21及成年胰腺的表达.并用免疫组化技术对该基因编码的蛋白-肝细胞生长因子受体c-MET蛋白在胰腺发育不同阶段的定位进行分析.结果:c-met基因在E15.5、E18.5较成年特异性高表达.免疫组化结果显示该基因编码的蛋白c-MET在新生后的胰腺大量定位与胰岛细胞.结论:提示c-met可能在胰腺发育过程中起到调控作用,参与胰腺发育中新生后胰岛结构重塑过程.     

大鼠胚胎发育期NBC1 在胰腺的表达与定位

目的:探讨碳酸氢钠协同转运载体(NBC1)在大鼠胰腺胚胎发育期不同阶段核酸、蛋白水平的动态变化以及在腺泡和β细胞的定位表达。方法:采用高密度寡核苷酸芯片对孕12.5 d(E12.5)、E15.5、E18.5、新生和成年胰腺进行基因转录水平分析,用RT-PCR和Western blot分别验证了NBC1核酸和蛋白在E15.5、E18.5、新生和成年时期胰腺中的表达情况,用Double fluorescence immunohistochemistry分析了NBC1在E18.5、新生和成年时期胰腺腺泡和β细胞的定位表达。结果:在大鼠胰腺胚胎发育过程中,NBC1核酸、蛋白在E18.5时特异高表达,新生下降直至成年最低;在腺泡基底侧膜和β细胞膜有强烈的阳性信号,且在成年胰腺中β细胞膜阳性信号较腺泡基底侧膜强。NBC1的表达变化与其功能近似基因的表达趋势相反,而与其协同发挥作用的基因及胰腺特异基因的表达趋势一致。结论:NBC1在胰腺发育过程中不仅与结构形成而且与功能发挥相关。     

大鼠E12.5胰腺间质细胞原代培养及鉴定

目的:体外分离培养大鼠胚胎胰腺间质细胞(pancreas mesenchymal cells).方法:以孕12.5天(E12.5)的大鼠胚胎为组织来源,通过显微分离得到E12.5的胚胎胰腺,在鼠尾胶原包覆的六孔板内进行组织块培养,观察培养过程中胰芽的形态变化,间质细胞的长出,并用细胞免疫荧光的方法对间质细胞进行了鉴定.结果:显微分离得到了胚胎胰腺,为间质细胞群包绕着上皮细胞团的结构,培养第二天即发现间质细胞的长出,培养第四天时得到间质细胞群,免疫荧光鉴定为vimentin 阳性的间质细胞.结论:本方法通过大鼠E12.5胚胎胰腺显微分离.体外培养出原代胚胎胰腺间质细胞,为进一步研究大鼠胰腺间质细胞的功能提供实验平台.     

Conditional ablation of Notch signaling in pancreatic development

The role of the Notch signaling members Notch1, Notch2 and Rbpj in exocrine pancreatic development is not well defined. We therefore analyzed conditional pancreas-specific Rbpj and combined Notch1/Notch2 knockout mice using Ptf1a(+/Cre(ex1)) mice crossed with floxed Rbpj or Notch1/Notch2 mice. Mice were analyzed at different embryonic stages for pancreatic exocrine and endocrine development. The absence of Rbpj in pancreatic progenitor cells impaired exocrine pancreas development up to embryonic day 18.5 and led to premature differentiation of pancreatic progenitors into endocrine cells. In Rbpj-deficient pancreata, amylase-expressing acini and islets formed during late embryonic and postnatal development, suggesting an essential role of Rbpj in early but not late development. Contrary to this severe phenotype, the concomitant inactivation of Notch1 and Notch2 only moderately disturbed the proliferation of pancreatic epithelial cells during early embryonic development, and did not inhibit pancreatic development. Our results show that, in contrast to Rbpj, Notch1 and Notch2 are not essential for pancreatogenesis. These data favor a Notch-independent role of Rbpj in the development of the exocrine pancreas. Furthermore, our findings suggest that in late stages of pancreatic development exocrine cell differentiation and maintenance are independent of Rbpj.     

Novel Pancreatic Endocrine Maturation Pathways Identified by Genomic Profiling and Causal Reasoning

We have used a previously unavailable model of pancreatic development, derived in vitro from human embryonic stem cells, to capture a time-course of gene, miRNA and histone modification levels in pancreatic endocrine cells. We investigated whether it is possible to better understand, and hence control, the biological pathways leading to pancreatic endocrine formation by analysing this information and combining it with the available scientific literature to generate models using a casual reasoning approach. We show that the embryonic stem cell differentiation protocol is highly reproducible in producing endocrine precursor cells and generates cells that recapitulate many aspects of human embryonic pancreas development, including maturation into functional endocrine cells when transplanted into recipient animals. The availability of whole genome gene and miRNA expression data from the early stages of human pancreatic development will be of great benefit to those in the fields of developmental biology and diabetes research. Our causal reasoning algorithm suggested the involvement of novel gene networks, such as NEUROG3/E2F1/KDM5B and SOCS3/STAT3/IL-6, in endocrine cell development We experimentally investigated the role of the top-ranked prediction by showing that addition of exogenous IL-6 could affect the expression of the endocrine progenitor genes NEUROG3 and NKX2.2.     

Alpha-fetoprotein is dynamically expressed in rat pancreas during development

To identify proteins involved in pancreatic development, we used a differential proteomics approach by comparing pancreatic extracts from four biologically significant stages of development: embryonic day (E) 15.5, E18.5, postnatal (P) days 0 and adult. By two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-E) and MALDI-TOF MS (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry) following database searching and protein annotation, 15 proteins were identified as being differently expressed in the pancreas between the four phases. The expression pattern and the localization of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), one of significant changed proteins observed, were further determined. Four isoforms of AFP (72 kDa, 60 kDa, 48 kDa and 37 kDa) were found by Western blotting in the pancreas tested, most of them showed a stronger signal in E18.5 followed by a steady decrease and only a 60-kDa isoform was detected in the adult pancreas. Immunolocalization for AFP revealed that a positive reactivity was detectable at E15.5 pancreas, became stronger in the cytoplasm of mesenchyme cells at E18.5, and declined after birth to a nearly undetectable level in adults. The dynamic expression of AFP in rat pancreas from different stages indicates that AFP might be involved in some aspects of pancreatic development.     

Thyroid hormones promote endocrine differentiation at expenses of exocrine tissue

Diabetes is caused by loss or dysfunction of pancreatic beta cells. Generation of beta cells in vitro is a promising strategy to develop a full-scale cell therapy against diabetes, and the development of methods without gene transfer may provide safer protocols for human therapy. Here we show that thyroid hormone receptors are expressed in embryonic murine pancreas. Addition of the thyroid hormone T3 in an ex vivo culture model of embryonic (E12.5) dorsal pancreas, mimicking embryonic pancreatic development, promoted an increase of ductal cell number at expenses of the acinar compartment. Double labeled cells expressing specific markers for ductal and acinar cells were observed, suggesting cell reprogramming. Increased mRNA levels of the pro-endocrine gene Ngn3 and an increased number of beta cells were detected in cultures treated previously with T3 suggesting that ductal cells promoted by T3 can subsequently differentiate into endocrine cells. So, indirectly, T3 induced endocrine differentiation. Moreover, T3 induced the expression of the pro-endocrine gene Ngn3 in the acinar 266-6 cell line. The pro-endocrine effect of T3 in the pancreatic explants and in the acinar cell line, was abrogated by the Akt inhibitor Ly294002 indicating the involvement of Akt signaling in this process. Altogether we show numerous evidences that define T3 as a promising candidate to generate endocrine cells from exocrine tissue, using ectopically gene expression free protocols, for cell therapy against diabetes.