Endocrine progenitor cells are multipotent cells that develop into the different endocrine cell types (alpha, beta, delta, pancreatic polypeptide, epsilon and G cells). These cells express markers, such as Neurog3, distinct to the endocrine precursor fate.
Neurog3+ cells are detectable over a broad range of developmental stages during pancreas development in the mouse. They are first detectable in the dorsal pancreas at around E8.5 and at about E10.5 in the ventral pancreas, marking the initiation of endocrine fate specification. Neurog3 expression peaks at around E15.5, after which expression drops to barely detectable levels by birth.
These cells express distinct markers, such as Neurog3, indicative of their lineage commitment, and that activate downstream differentiation programs.
The first wave of endocrine progenitor cells (primary transition) mainly give rise to alpha cells and endocrine cells expressing multiple hormones, whereas the Neurog3 endocrine progenitor cells of the secondary transition give rise to all the known mature endocrine cell types.
EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT & STEM CELL COMPENDIUM
