Journal Article DKFZ-2025-02475

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png
Heparanase 2 (Hpa2)- a new player essential for pancreatic acinar cell differentiation.

 ;  ;  ;  ;

2023
Nature Publishing Group London [u.a.]

Cell death & disease 14(7), 465 () [10.1038/s41419-023-05990-y]
 GO

Abstract: Heparanase 2 (Hpa2, HPSE2) is a close homolog of heparanase. Hpa2, however, lacks intrinsic heparan sulfate (HS)-degrading activity, the hallmark of heparanase enzymatic activity. Mutations of HPSE2 were identified in patients diagnosed with urofacial syndrome (UFS), a rare genetic disorder that exhibits abnormal facial expression and bladder voiding dysfunction, leading to renal damage and eventually renal failure. In order to reveal the role of HPSE2 in tissue homeostasis, we established a conditional Hpa2-KO mouse. Interestingly, the lack of Hpa2 was associated with a marked decrease in the expression of key pancreatic transcription factors such as PTF1, GATA6, and Mist1. This was associated with a two-fold decrease in pancreas weight, increased pancreatic inflammation, and profound morphological alterations of the pancreas. These include massive accumulation of fat cells, possibly a result of acinar-to-adipocyte transdifferentiation (AAT), as well as acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM), both considered to be pro-tumorigenic. Furthermore, exposing Hpa2-KO but not wild-type mice to a carcinogen (AOM) and pancreatic inflammation (cerulein) resulted in the formation of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), lesions that are considered to be precursors of invasive ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (PDAC). These results strongly support the notion that Hpa2 functions as a tumor suppressor. Moreover, Hpa2 is shown here for the first time to play a critical role in the exocrine aspect of the pancreas.

Keyword(s): Mice (MeSH) ; Animals (MeSH) ; Pancreas: pathology (MeSH) ; Acinar Cells: metabolism (MeSH) ; Pancreatic Neoplasms: pathology (MeSH) ; Pancreatitis: metabolism (MeSH) ; Cell Differentiation (MeSH) ; Inflammation: pathology (MeSH) ; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal: pathology (MeSH) ; heparanase

Classification:

Note: #DKFZ-MOST-Ca198#


Database coverage:
Medline ; Creative Commons Attribution CC BY (No Version) ; DOAJ ; Article Processing Charges ; BIOSIS Previews ; Biological Abstracts ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; DOAJ Seal ; Essential Science Indicators ; Fees ; IF >= 5 ; JCR ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection
Click to display QR Code for this record

The record appears in these collections:
External Publications > Coordinated Projects
Institute Collections > W500

 Record created 2025-11-18, last modified 2025-11-18


Rate this document:

Rate this document:
1
2
3
 
(Not yet reviewed)