Dor Yuval, Spitzer Nicholas C
Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences and Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2025 Apr 28;13:1587893. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1587893. eCollection 2025.
Although originating from different germ layers, pancreatic islet cells and neurons share extensive similarities, both physiological (e.g., voltage-dependent release of a bioactive molecule) and molecular (e.g., highly similar composition of transcription factors and structural genes). Here we propose that two seemingly unrelated phenomena recognized in these cell types-neurotransmitter switching in neurons and the expression of two or more hormones in individual islet cells-share a deep resemblance, potentially reflecting an ancient molecular circuit of cell plasticity. Comparing and contrasting dynamic hormone expression in islet cells and transmitter switching in neurons may provide insights into the functions and underlying mechanisms of these phenomena.
尽管胰岛细胞和神经元起源于不同的胚层，但它们在生理方面（例如生物活性分子的电压依赖性释放）和分子方面（例如转录因子和结构基因的组成高度相似）都有广泛的相似之处。在此，我们提出在这些细胞类型中识别出的两种看似不相关的现象——神经元中的神经递质转换和单个胰岛细胞中两种或更多种激素的表达——有着深刻的相似之处，这可能反映了一种古老的细胞可塑性分子回路。比较和对比胰岛细胞中的动态激素表达与神经元中的递质转换，可能会为这些现象的功能和潜在机制提供见解。
