Mosaic ablation of pancreatic β cells induces de-differentiation and repetitive proliferation of residual β cells in adult mice

Diabetes mellitus is induced by quantitative and qualitative decline in pancreatic β cells. Although its radical therapy has not yet been established, β cell regeneration is a promising option. We investigate here two mouse models of β cell regeneration induced after ∼80% reduction in β cell number: Cre/loxP-mediated β cell ablation and partial pancreatectomy. Cre/loxP-mediated, mosaic-pattern of β cell ablation by diphtheria toxin (DT) prompted rapid β cell replenishment through repeated proliferation of rare, highly proliferative DT receptor-negative β cells along with increase in Hes1, Neurog3, Ascl1, and Aldh1a3 (immature/dedifferentiated β cell markers) and decrease in Mafa (a mature β cell marker) in the islets. In contrast, pancreatectomy also prompted active proliferation, but with no change in these immature/dedifferentiated or mature β cell markers. Our findings demonstrate that the mode of β cell regeneration differs between Cre/loxP-mediated β cell ablation and surgical β cell reduction, and the former involves β cell dedifferentiation followed by active repetitive cell proliferation of a small population of β cells.