Functional characterization of the trout insulin promoter: implications for fish as a favorable model of pancreas development

FEBS Letters
F ArgentonMarino Bortolussi

Abstract

The complex anatomy of the mammalian pancreas, in which the endocrine cells are grouped in islets dispersed among the predominant exocrine component, has hampered study of the molecular events governing the development of pancreatic cell lineages. To investigate whether fish may provide relevant, complementary models of pancreas development, we characterized the trout insulin (tINS) promoter and its molecular interactions with PDX1, a key transcriptional and developmental factor of the mammalian pancreas. Transfection of a luciferase reporter plasmid containing the 280 bp 5'-flanking region of the tINS gene resulted in strong activity in mammalian pancreatic beta cells but not in CHO or pituitary cells. Footprinting assays and cotransfection experiments indicated that mammalian PDX1 binds to and activates the tINS promoter. By microinjecting plasmids to fertilized zebrafish eggs, we showed that the expression of mouse PDX1 is capable of activating the co-injected tINS promoter plasmid in most cell types of the 24-h zebrafish embryo. The conserved role of PDX1 in vertebrate insulin gene regulation opens the possibility to exploit fish models in the study of pancreas development.

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Citations

Feb 11, 1999·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part B, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology·M MansourB Pohajdak
Feb 4, 2014·Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology·Michael A Caruso, Mark A Sheridan
Jul 6, 2011·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Michael A Caruso, Mark A Sheridan
Jul 10, 2007·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Olga HrytsenkoBill Pohajdak
Sep 24, 1999·Mechanisms of Development·F ArgentonM Bortolussi
Apr 27, 2004·American Journal of Physiology. Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology·Zhi WangEric Sibley
Mar 10, 1998·Endocrinology·W M MilewskiD F Steiner
May 30, 2009·Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology·Natascia TisoFrancesco Argenton

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