Independent development of pancreatic alpha- and beta-cells from neurogenin3-expressing precursors: a role for the notch pathway in repression of premature differentiation.

The nature and identity of the pancreatic beta-cell precursor has remained elusive for many years. One model envisions an early multihormonal precursor that gives rise to both alpha- and beta-cells and the other endocrine cell types. Alternatively, beta-cells have been suggested to arise late, directly from the GLUT2- and pancreatic duodenal homeobox factor-1 (PDX1)-expressing epithelium, which gives rise also to the acinar cells during this stage. In this study, we have identified a subset of the PDX1+ epithelial cells that are marked by expression of Neurogenin3 (Ngn3). Ngn3, a member of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family of transcription factors, is suggested to act upstream of NeuroD in a bHLH cascade. Detailed analysis of Ngn3/paired box factor 6 (PAX6) and NeuroD/PAX6 co-expression shows that the two bHLH factors are expressed in a largely nonoverlapping set of cells, but such analysis also suggests that the NeuroD+ cells arise from cells expressing Ngn3 transiently. NeuroD+ cells do not express Ki-67, a marker of proliferating cells, which shows that these cells are postmitotic. In contrast, Ki-67 is readily detected in Ngn3+ cells. Thus, Ngn3+ cells fulfill the criteria for an endocrine precursor cell. These expression patterns support the notion that both alpha- and beta-cells develop independently from PDX1+/Ngn3+ epithelial cells, rather than from GLU+/INS+ intermediate stages. The earliest sign of alpha-cell development appears to be Brain4 expression, which apparently precedes Islet-1 (ISL1) expression. Based on our expression analysis, we propose a temporal sequence of gene activation and inactivation for developing alpha- and beta-cells beginning with activation of NeuroD expression. Endocrine cells leave the cell cycle before NeuroD activation, but re-enter the cell cycle at perinatal stages. Dynamic expression of Notch1 in PDX+ epithelial cells suggests that Notch signaling could inhibit a Ngn-NeuroD cascade as seen in the nervous system and thus prevent premature differentiation of endocrine cells.