English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

PAX4 is a key regulator of pancreatic islet development whilst in adult acute overexpression protects β-cells against stress-induced apoptosis and stimulates proliferation. Nonetheless, sustained PAX4 expression promotes β-cell dedifferentiation and hyperglycemia, mimicking β-cell failure in diabetic patients. Herein, we study mechanisms that allow stringent PAX4 regulation endowing favorable β-cell adaptation in response to changing environment without loss of identity. To this end, PAX4 expression was monitored using a mouse bearing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) and cre recombinase construct under the control of the islet specific pax4 promoter. GFP was detected in 30% of islet cells predominantly composed of PAX4-enriched β-cells that responded to glucose-induced insulin secretion. Lineage tracing demonstrated that all islet cells were derived from PAX4 +  progenitor cells but that GFP expression was confined to a subpopulation at birth which declined with age correlating with reduced replication. However, this GFP +  subpopulation expanded during pregnancy, a state of active β-cell replication. Accordingly, enhanced proliferation was exclusively detected in GFP +  cells consistent with cell cycle genes being stimulated in PAX4-overexpressing islets. Under stress conditions, GFP +  cells were more resistant to apoptosis than their GFP -  counterparts. Our data suggest PAX4 defines an expandable β-cell sub population within adult islets.

PAX4 Defines an Expandable β-Cell Subpopulation in the Adult Pancreatic Islet