Differentially expressed genes during pancreatic progenitor cell differentiation and proliferation

A small molecule, AT7867, is a proliferation-promoting factor of human iPS cell-derived pancreatic progenitor cells; yet how it promotes cell proliferation is not known. AT7867 induces proliferation of pancreatic progenitor cells, but not that of definitive endoderm cells or primitive gut tube cells suggesting a cell type-specific effect. Our aim is to perform RNA-seq of cells obtained during a three stage differentiation of hiPS cells to the endodermal cell lineage in addition to pancreatic progenitor cells treated with AT7867, and analyze signaling pathways altered by the compound treatment. The overall goal of this study was to examine gene expression changes during pancreatic progenitor cell differentiation and proliferation. Specifically, mRNA profiles of human iPS cells, hiPS cell-derived differentiated cells (definitive endoderm cells, primitive gut tube cells, and pancreatic progenitor cells), and pancreatic progenitor cells treated with a proliferation inducer, AT7867 in two different medium conditions were generated in triplicate.