Biomaterial Database

Mammalian hepatocyte differentiation requires the transcription factor HNF-4alpha. 2000

J Li, and G Ning, and S A Duncan

Department of Cell Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211 USA.

HNF-4alpha is a transcription factor of the nuclear hormone receptor family that is expressed in the hepatic diverticulum at the onset of liver development. Mouse embryos lacking HNF-4alpha fail to complete gastrulation due to dysfunction of the visceral endoderm. This early embryonic lethality has so far prevented any analyses of the contribution of HNF-4alpha toward liver development and hepatocyte differentiation. However, we have shown that complementation of HNF-4alpha(-/-) embryos with a tetraploid embryo-derived wild-type visceral endoderm rescues this early developmental arrest and allows HNF-4alpha(-/-) embryos to proceed normally through midgestation stages of development. Examination of these rescued embryos revealed that HNF-4alpha was dispensable for specification and early development of the liver. However, HNF-4alpha(-/-) fetal livers failed to express a large array of genes whose expression in differentiated hepatocytes is essential for a functional hepatic parenchyma, including genes encoding several apolipoproteins, metabolic proteins, and serum factors. In addition, we have demonstrated that HNF-4alpha is essential for expression of the transcription factors HNF-1alpha and PXR within the fetal liver. We therefore conclude that HNF-4alpha is both essential for hepatocyte differentiation during mammalian liver development and also crucial for metabolic regulation and liver function.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D010750	Phosphoproteins		Phosphoprotein
D002449	Cell Aggregation	The phenomenon by which dissociated cells intermixed in vitro tend to group themselves with cells of their own type.	Aggregation, Cell,Aggregations, Cell,Cell Aggregations
D002454	Cell Differentiation	Progressive restriction of the developmental potential and increasing specialization of function that leads to the formation of specialized cells, tissues, and organs.	Differentiation, Cell,Cell Differentiations,Differentiations, Cell
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D004268	DNA-Binding Proteins	Proteins which bind to DNA. The family includes proteins which bind to both double- and single-stranded DNA and also includes specific DNA binding proteins in serum which can be used as markers for malignant diseases.	DNA Helix Destabilizing Proteins,DNA-Binding Protein,Single-Stranded DNA Binding Proteins,DNA Binding Protein,DNA Single-Stranded Binding Protein,SS DNA BP,Single-Stranded DNA-Binding Protein,Binding Protein, DNA,DNA Binding Proteins,DNA Single Stranded Binding Protein,DNA-Binding Protein, Single-Stranded,Protein, DNA-Binding,Single Stranded DNA Binding Protein,Single Stranded DNA Binding Proteins
D004707	Endoderm	The inner of the three germ layers of an embryo.	Definitive Endoderm,Definitive Endoderms,Endoderm, Definitive,Endoderms
D005775	Gastrula	The developmental stage that follows BLASTULA or BLASTOCYST. It is characterized by the morphogenetic cell movements including invagination, ingression, and involution. Gastrulation begins with the formation of the PRIMITIVE STREAK, and ends with the formation of three GERM LAYERS, the body plan of the mature organism.	Archenteron,Blastopore,Gastrocoele,Primitive Gut,Archenterons,Blastopores,Gastrocoeles,Gastrulas,Gut, Primitive,Guts, Primitive,Primitive Guts
D000209	Acute-Phase Proteins	Proteins that are secreted into the blood in increased or decreased quantities by hepatocytes in response to trauma, inflammation, or disease. These proteins can serve as inhibitors or mediators of the inflammatory processes. Certain acute-phase proteins have been used to diagnose and follow the course of diseases or as tumor markers.	Acute Phase Reactant,Acute-Phase Glycoprotein,Acute-Phase Reactant,Acute-Phase Reactants,Proteins, Acute-Phase,Reactants, Acute-Phase,Acute-Phase Glycoproteins,Acute-Phase Protein,Acute Phase Glycoprotein,Acute Phase Glycoproteins,Acute Phase Protein,Acute Phase Proteins,Acute Phase Reactants,Glycoprotein, Acute-Phase,Glycoproteins, Acute-Phase,Phase Reactant, Acute,Protein, Acute-Phase,Proteins, Acute Phase,Reactant, Acute Phase,Reactant, Acute-Phase,Reactants, Acute Phase
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia