Figure 1: PKD1 is upregulated in pancreatic acinar cells undergoing ADM.

(a,b) Pancreatic tissue (normal acinar area and regions with ADM and PanINs) from MT-TGFα transgene mice was stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Alcian Blue, or analysed by IHC for expression of PKD1 (anti-PKD1), PKD2 (anti-PKD2), PKD3 (anti-PKD3), or active PKD activity (anti-pS744/748-PKD), as indicated. Scale bar, 50 μm. (c) Primary acinar cells were isolated from mouse pancreas and seeded in 3D culture in phenol red-free, growth factor-containing Matrigel. At day 5, expression of PKD1 (anti-PKD1, deep red), CK-19 (ductal marker, red) and amylase (acinar cell marker, green) were analysed by immunofluorescence. BF, bright field. Scale bar, 50 μm. (d–f) Primary acinar cells were isolated from mouse pancreas, seeded in 3D culture in collagen and transdifferentiation was induced with TGFα (50 ng ml⁻¹) as indicated. Ducts formed were photographed (d, Scale bar, 100 μm), isolated from the collagen and analysed by western blotting for expression of PKD1, PKD2, PKD3 and active PKD (anti-S744/748-PKD) as indicated (e), or analysed by quantitative PCR for PKD1 expression (f). In e, silver staining served as loading control. In (f, * indicates statistical significance (P<0.05; Student’s t-test) as compared with control. Error bars (s.d.) were obtained from three experimental replicates. All experiments shown were performed at least three times with similar results.