PTF1a Activity in Enriched Posterior Foregut Endoderm, but Not Definitive Endoderm, Leads to Enhanced Pancreatic Differentiation in an In Vitro Mouse ESC-Based Model

Figure 4

PTF1a induction in combination with FGF10 led to the formation of pancreatic epithelial progenitors. (a) Both Nodal and Activin A derived posterior foregut endoderm generated PDX1⁺NKX6.1⁺ pancreatic progenitors on induction of PTF1a along with FGF10 treatment. Uninduced cultures did not have any such copositive area (data not shown). (b) Nkx6.1 and Pdx1 copositive pancreatic progenitors were unique to PTF1a induced cultures (top and bottom row). FGF10 was not necessary to generate PDX1⁺NKX6.1⁺ population, although it increased the numbers of such progenitors (top row). Notably, FGF10 alone did not produce any NKX6.1⁺ cells (middle row), and hence PTF1a induction is essential for the formation of this pancreatic progenitor population. Arrowheads indicate PDX1 and NKX6.1 double positive costained population. Arrows indicate PDX1 single positive cells. Scale bars, 100 μm.

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