Examining the liver-pancreas crosstalk reveals a role for the molybdenum cofactor in β-cell regeneration

Karampelias C, Băloiu B, Rathkolb B, da Silva-Buttkus P, Bachar-Wikström E, Marschall S, Fuchs H, Gailus-Durner V, Chu L, Hrabě de Angelis M, Andersson O

Life Science Alliance 7 (11) e202402771 [2024-08-19]

Regeneration of insulin-producing β-cells is an alternative avenue to manage diabetes, and it is crucial to unravel this process in vivo during physiological responses to the lack of β-cells. Here, we aimed to characterize how hepatocytes can contribute to β-cell regeneration, either directly or indirectly via secreted proteins or metabolites, in a zebrafish model of β-cell loss. Using lineage tracing, we show that hepatocytes do not directly convert into β-cells even under extreme β-cell ablation conditions. A transcriptomic analysis of isolated hepatocytes after β-cell ablation displayed altered lipid- and glucose-related processes. Based on the transcriptomics, we performed a genetic screen that uncovers a potential role of the molybdenum cofactor (Moco) biosynthetic pathway in β-cell regeneration and glucose metabolism in zebrafish. Consistently, molybdenum cofactor synthesis 2 (Mocs2) haploinsufficiency in mice indicated dysregulated glucose metabolism and liver function. Together, our study sheds light on the liver–pancreas crosstalk and suggests that the molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis pathway should be further studied in relation to glucose metabolism and diabetes.

NGI Short read

NGI Stockholm (Genomics Production)

National Genomics Infrastructure

PubMed 39159974

DOI 10.26508/lsa.202402771

Crossref 10.26508/lsa.202402771


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