Dysregulation of Dicer1 in Beta Cells Impairs Islet Architecture and Glucose Metabolism

Figure 2

Progressive disappearance of Dicer1 mutant cells during post-embryonic growth of islets of Langerhans. YFP-positive (green) cells are accompanied by wild-type beta cells, which do not express YFP and are immunostained for insulin (red). These two populations of beta cells are comparably abundant in control RIP-Cre; Dicer1^LoxP/+ islets, at postnatal days 18 (a, P18) and 30 (b, P30). However, “mutant” beta cells in islets of RIP-Cre; Dicer1^LoxP/LoxP animals that are detected at P18, are progressively lost and are rarely detected at P30 (c, d). Cre-positive ‘control’ cells are dispersed throughout islet tissue of Cre; Dicer1^LoxP/+ at multiple postnatal time points (e). Cre Immunofluorescence reveals the progressive loss of Cre-positive beta-cell from RIP-Cre; Dicer1^LoxP/LoxP islets, that are depicted only at the islet periphery at P21 and P30 (f). Bar −50 μm.

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