Pancreatic B-13 Cell Trans-Differentiation to Hepatocytes Is Dependent on Epigenetic-Regulated Changes in Gene Expression.

The proliferative B-13 pancreatic cell line is unique in its ability to generate functional hepatocyte-like (B-13/H) cells in response to exposure to glucocorticoid. In these studies, quantitatively comparable hepatic levels of liver-specific and liver-enriched transcription factor and hepatocyte de...

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Main Authors: Emma A Fairhall, Michelle A Charles, Philip M E Probert, Karen Wallace, Jennifer Gibb, Chandni Ravindan, Martin Soloman, Matthew C Wright
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0150959&type=printable
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author Emma A Fairhall
Michelle A Charles
Philip M E Probert
Karen Wallace
Jennifer Gibb
Chandni Ravindan
Martin Soloman
Matthew C Wright
author_facet Emma A Fairhall
Michelle A Charles
Philip M E Probert
Karen Wallace
Jennifer Gibb
Chandni Ravindan
Martin Soloman
Matthew C Wright
author_sort Emma A Fairhall
collection DOAJ
description The proliferative B-13 pancreatic cell line is unique in its ability to generate functional hepatocyte-like (B-13/H) cells in response to exposure to glucocorticoid. In these studies, quantitatively comparable hepatic levels of liver-specific and liver-enriched transcription factor and hepatocyte defining mRNA transcripts were expressed after 10-14 days continuous treatment with glucocorticoid. This conversion in phenotype was associated with increased Gr-α mRNA expression and translation of a functional N-terminally truncated variant protein that localized to the nucleus in B-13/H cells. A short (6 hours) pulse exposure to glucocorticoid was also sufficient to transiently activate the Gr and irreversibly drive near identical conversion to B-13/H cells. Examination of epigenetic-related mechanisms demonstrated that B-13 DNA was rapidly methylated and de-methylated over the initial 2 days in response to both continuous or pulse exposure with glucocorticoid. DNA methylation and glucocorticoid-dependent conversion to an hepatic B-13/H phenotype was blocked by the methylation inhibitor, 5-azacytidine. Conversion to an hepatic B-13/H phenotype was also blocked by histone deacetylase inhibitors. Previous experiments have identified N-terminal Sgk1 variant proteins as pivotal to the mechanism(s) associated with pancreatic-hepatic differentiation. Both continuous and pulse exposure to DEX was sufficient to result in a near-similar robust transcriptional increase in Sgk1c mRNA expression from undetectable levels in B-13 cells. Notably, expression of Sgk1c mRNA remained constitutive 14 days later; including after pulse exposure to glucocorticoid and this induction was inhibited by 5-azacytidine or by histone deacetylase inhibitors. These data therefore suggest that exposing B-13 cells to glucocorticoid results in a Gr-dependent pulse in DNA methylation and likely other epigenetic changes such as histone modifications that leads to constitutive expression of Sgk1c and irreversible reprogramming of B-13 cells into B-13/H cells. Understanding and application of these mechanism(s) may enhance the functionality of stem cell-derived hepatocytes generated in vitro.
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spelling doaj-art-ed6f29f4fcd2429e873bb0e917e6cdbe2025-08-20T03:46:11ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032016-01-01113e015095910.1371/journal.pone.0150959Pancreatic B-13 Cell Trans-Differentiation to Hepatocytes Is Dependent on Epigenetic-Regulated Changes in Gene Expression.Emma A FairhallMichelle A CharlesPhilip M E ProbertKaren WallaceJennifer GibbChandni RavindanMartin SolomanMatthew C WrightThe proliferative B-13 pancreatic cell line is unique in its ability to generate functional hepatocyte-like (B-13/H) cells in response to exposure to glucocorticoid. In these studies, quantitatively comparable hepatic levels of liver-specific and liver-enriched transcription factor and hepatocyte defining mRNA transcripts were expressed after 10-14 days continuous treatment with glucocorticoid. This conversion in phenotype was associated with increased Gr-α mRNA expression and translation of a functional N-terminally truncated variant protein that localized to the nucleus in B-13/H cells. A short (6 hours) pulse exposure to glucocorticoid was also sufficient to transiently activate the Gr and irreversibly drive near identical conversion to B-13/H cells. Examination of epigenetic-related mechanisms demonstrated that B-13 DNA was rapidly methylated and de-methylated over the initial 2 days in response to both continuous or pulse exposure with glucocorticoid. DNA methylation and glucocorticoid-dependent conversion to an hepatic B-13/H phenotype was blocked by the methylation inhibitor, 5-azacytidine. Conversion to an hepatic B-13/H phenotype was also blocked by histone deacetylase inhibitors. Previous experiments have identified N-terminal Sgk1 variant proteins as pivotal to the mechanism(s) associated with pancreatic-hepatic differentiation. Both continuous and pulse exposure to DEX was sufficient to result in a near-similar robust transcriptional increase in Sgk1c mRNA expression from undetectable levels in B-13 cells. Notably, expression of Sgk1c mRNA remained constitutive 14 days later; including after pulse exposure to glucocorticoid and this induction was inhibited by 5-azacytidine or by histone deacetylase inhibitors. These data therefore suggest that exposing B-13 cells to glucocorticoid results in a Gr-dependent pulse in DNA methylation and likely other epigenetic changes such as histone modifications that leads to constitutive expression of Sgk1c and irreversible reprogramming of B-13 cells into B-13/H cells. Understanding and application of these mechanism(s) may enhance the functionality of stem cell-derived hepatocytes generated in vitro.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0150959&type=printable
spellingShingle Emma A Fairhall
Michelle A Charles
Philip M E Probert
Karen Wallace
Jennifer Gibb
Chandni Ravindan
Martin Soloman
Matthew C Wright
Pancreatic B-13 Cell Trans-Differentiation to Hepatocytes Is Dependent on Epigenetic-Regulated Changes in Gene Expression.
PLoS ONE
title Pancreatic B-13 Cell Trans-Differentiation to Hepatocytes Is Dependent on Epigenetic-Regulated Changes in Gene Expression.
title_full Pancreatic B-13 Cell Trans-Differentiation to Hepatocytes Is Dependent on Epigenetic-Regulated Changes in Gene Expression.
title_fullStr Pancreatic B-13 Cell Trans-Differentiation to Hepatocytes Is Dependent on Epigenetic-Regulated Changes in Gene Expression.
title_full_unstemmed Pancreatic B-13 Cell Trans-Differentiation to Hepatocytes Is Dependent on Epigenetic-Regulated Changes in Gene Expression.
title_short Pancreatic B-13 Cell Trans-Differentiation to Hepatocytes Is Dependent on Epigenetic-Regulated Changes in Gene Expression.
title_sort pancreatic b 13 cell trans differentiation to hepatocytes is dependent on epigenetic regulated changes in gene expression
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0150959&type=printable
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