%0 Journal Article
%T Dysregulation of Dicer1 in Beta Cells Impairs Islet Architecture and Glucose Metabolism
%A Amitai D. Mandelbaum
%A Tal Melkman-Zehavi
%A Roni Oren
%A Sharon Kredo-Russo
%A Tomer Nir
%A Yuval Dor
%A Eran Hornstein
%J Experimental Diabetes Research
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/470302
%X microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in pancreas development and in regulation of insulin expression in the adult. Here we show that loss of miRNAs activity in beta-cells during embryonic development results in lower beta-cell mass and in impaired glucose tolerance. Dicer1-null cells initially constitute a significant portion of the total beta-cell population. However, during postnatal development, Dicer1-null cells are depleted. Furthermore, wild-type beta cells are repopulating the islets in complex compensatory dynamics. Because loss of Dicer1 is also associated with changes in the distribution of membranous E-cadherin, we hypothesized that E-cadherin activity may play a role in beta cell survival or islet architecture. However, genetic loss of E-cadherin function does not impair islet architecture, suggesting that miRNAs likely function through other or redundant effectors in the endocrine pancreas.
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/edr/2012/470302/