Abstract
Nkx2.2 is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor essential for pancreatic islet cell specification. In this study we investigate the role of Nkx2.2 within the small intestine. We have determined that Nkx2.2 is expressed at the onset of intestinal epithelial cell differentiation in specific intestinal cell populations, including a subset of enteroendocrine cells. Similar to its role in the pancreatic islet, Nkx2.2 regulates cell fate choices within the intestinal enteroendocrine population; in the Nkx2.2 null mice, several hormone-producing enteroendocrine cell populations are absent or reduced and the ghrelin-producing cell population is upregulated. The remaining intestinal cell populations, including the paneth cells, goblet cells, and enterocytes appear to be unaffected by the loss of Nkx2.2. Furthermore, similar to the pancreatic islet, Nkx2.2 appears to function upstream of Pax6 in regulating intestinal cell fates; Pax6 mRNA and protein expression is decreased in the Nkx2.2 null mice. These studies identify a novel role for Nkx2.2 in intestinal endocrine cell development and reveal the regulatory similarities between cell type specification in the pancreatic islet and in the enteroendocrine population of the intestine.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 58-66 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Developmental Biology |
| Volume | 313 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2008 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We would like to thank Dr. Kristin Artinger and the Sussel lab for critical reading of this manuscript. This research was supported by the NIH NIDDK and the American Diabetes Association (L.S.), and a T32 training award to MD. Additional support was provided by the University of Colorado Cancer Center Transgenic/Knockout Core and the Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Center (NIH P30 DK57516).
Keywords
- Cell type specification
- Enteroendocrine cells
- Ghrelin
- Hormones
- Intestine
- Nkx2.2