{"title":"Transcriptomic heterogeneity of non-beta islet cells is associated with type 2 diabetes development in mouse models","authors":"Pascal Gottmann, Thilo Speckmann, Mandy Stadion, Prateek Chawla, Judith Saurenbach, Nikolay Ninov, Heiko Lickert, Annette Schürmann","doi":"10.1007/s00125-024-06301-6","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Aims/hypothesis</h3><p>The aim of this work was to understand the role of non-beta cells in pancreatic islets at early stages of type 2 diabetes pathogenesis.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>Specific clustering was employed to single-cell transcriptome data from islet cells of obese mouse strains differing in their diabetes susceptibility (diabetes-resistant B6.V.<i>Lep</i><sup>ob/ob</sup> [OB] and diabetes-susceptible New Zealand Obese [NZO] mice) on a diabetogenic diet.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Refined clustering analysis revealed several heterogeneous subpopulations for alpha cells, delta cells and macrophages, of which 133 mapped to human diabetes genes identified by genome-wide association studies. Importantly, a similar non-beta cell heterogeneity was found in a dataset of human islets from donors at different stages of type 2 diabetes. The predominant alpha cell cluster in NZO mice displayed signs of cellular stress and lower mitochondrial capacity (97 differentially expressed genes [DEGs]), whereas delta cells from these mice exhibited higher expression levels of maturation marker genes (<i>Hhex</i> and <i>Sst</i>) but lower somatostatin secretion than OB mice (184 DEGs). Furthermore, a cluster of macrophages was almost twice as abundant in islets of OB mice, and displayed extensive cell–cell communication with beta cells of OB mice. Treatment of beta cells with IL-15, predicted to be released by macrophages, activated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3), which may mediate anti-apoptotic effects. Similar to mice, humans without diabetes possess a greater number of macrophages than those with prediabetes (39 mmol/mol [5.7%] < HbA<sub>1c</sub> < 46 mmol/mol [6.4%]) and diabetes.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions/interpretation</h3><p>Our study indicates that the transcriptional heterogeneity of non-beta cells has an impact on intra-islet crosstalk and participates in beta cell (dys)function.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Data availability</h3><p>scRNA-seq data from the previous study are available in gene expression omnibus under gene accession number GSE159211 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE159211).</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Graphical Abstract</h3>\n","PeriodicalId":11164,"journal":{"name":"Diabetologia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Diabetologia","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-024-06301-6","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Aims/hypothesis
The aim of this work was to understand the role of non-beta cells in pancreatic islets at early stages of type 2 diabetes pathogenesis.
Methods
Specific clustering was employed to single-cell transcriptome data from islet cells of obese mouse strains differing in their diabetes susceptibility (diabetes-resistant B6.V.Lepob/ob [OB] and diabetes-susceptible New Zealand Obese [NZO] mice) on a diabetogenic diet.
Results
Refined clustering analysis revealed several heterogeneous subpopulations for alpha cells, delta cells and macrophages, of which 133 mapped to human diabetes genes identified by genome-wide association studies. Importantly, a similar non-beta cell heterogeneity was found in a dataset of human islets from donors at different stages of type 2 diabetes. The predominant alpha cell cluster in NZO mice displayed signs of cellular stress and lower mitochondrial capacity (97 differentially expressed genes [DEGs]), whereas delta cells from these mice exhibited higher expression levels of maturation marker genes (Hhex and Sst) but lower somatostatin secretion than OB mice (184 DEGs). Furthermore, a cluster of macrophages was almost twice as abundant in islets of OB mice, and displayed extensive cell–cell communication with beta cells of OB mice. Treatment of beta cells with IL-15, predicted to be released by macrophages, activated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3), which may mediate anti-apoptotic effects. Similar to mice, humans without diabetes possess a greater number of macrophages than those with prediabetes (39 mmol/mol [5.7%] < HbA1c < 46 mmol/mol [6.4%]) and diabetes.
Conclusions/interpretation
Our study indicates that the transcriptional heterogeneity of non-beta cells has an impact on intra-islet crosstalk and participates in beta cell (dys)function.
Data availability
scRNA-seq data from the previous study are available in gene expression omnibus under gene accession number GSE159211 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE159211).
期刊介绍:
Diabetologia, the authoritative journal dedicated to diabetes research, holds high visibility through society membership, libraries, and social media. As the official journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, it is ranked in the top quartile of the 2019 JCR Impact Factors in the Endocrinology & Metabolism category. The journal boasts dedicated and expert editorial teams committed to supporting authors throughout the peer review process.