Fig. 7: Imaging analysis of peri-islet acinar cells.
From: Acinar to β-like cell conversion through inhibition of focal adhesion kinase
a, b Single-molecule in situ hybridization for detection of mouse insulin 1 in tele-islet acinar cells (a) or within islets and the peri-islet acinar cells (b) showing low levels of insulin 1 RNA in some peri-islet acinar cells. Right panels in (a, b) are higher magnifications of areas marked by dotted circles in the left panels. Arrowheads in (b) highlight peri-islet acinar cells with low insulin 1 expression. Scale bar = 20 μm, n = 3. c Confocal fluorescent Imaging of tamoxifen-induced ElaCreERT2,R26Tom mice treated with FAKi showing Tom+/insulin+ cells within the endocrine islets as well as in a peri-islet acinar cell. Scale bar in (a–c) = 20 μm. n = 5 mice from 3 independent experiments. d Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of control mouse pancreas showing peri-islet acinar cells with β-granules (n = 5). Right panel in shows the Inset from (d) illustrating a peri-islet cell containing zymogen granules (z), and insulin granules (arrows). e, f TEM of mouse pancreas harvested 1 day (e) or 10 days (f) after completion of FAKi treatment showing a polyhormonal cell (outlined by yellow dotted line) that contains mature β-granule (white arrow), immature β-granule (white arrowhead), α-granule (pink arrowhead), and δ-granule (green arrowhead) (n = 3 per group). Scale bar = 6 μm.
