| First Author | St-Onge L | Year | 1997 |
| Journal | Nature | Volume | 387 |
| Issue | 6631 | Pages | 406-9 |
| PubMed ID | 9163426 | Mgi Jnum | J:40439 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:87783 | Doi | 10.1038/387406a0 |
| Citation | St-Onge L, et al. (1997) Pax6 is required for differentiation of glucagon-producing alpha-cells in mouse pancreas. Nature 387(6631):406-9 |
| abstractText | The functional unit of the endocrine pancreas is the islet of Langerhans. Islets are nested within the exocrine tissue of the pancreas and are composed of alpha-, beta-, delta- and gamma-cells(1). P-Cells produce insulin and form the core of the islet, whereas alpha-, delta- and gamma-cells are arranged at the periphery of the islet and secrete glucagon, somatostatin and a pancreatic polypeptide, respectively. Little is known about the molecular and genetic factors regulating the lineage of the different endocrine cells. Pancreas development is known to be abolished in Pdx1-mutant mice(2) and Pax4 mutants lack insulin-producing beta-cells(3). Here we show that the paired-box gene Pax6 is expressed during the early stages of pancreatic development and in mature endocrine cells. The pancreas of Pax6 homozygous mutant mice lack glucagon-producing cells, suggesting that Pax6 is essential for the differentiation of alpha-cells. As mice lacking Pax4 and Pax6 fail to develop any mature endocrine cells, we conclude that both Pax genes are required for endocrine fate in the pancreas. |
