Dietary intervention preserves β cell function in mice through CTCF-mediated transcriptional reprogramming

Pancreatic beta cell plasticity is the primary determinant of disease progression and remission of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the dynamic nature of beta cell adaptation remains elusive. Here, we establish a mouse model exhibiting the compensation-to-decompensation adaptation of beta cell function in response to increasing duration of high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Comprehensive islet functional and transcriptome analyses reveal a dynamic orchestration of transcriptional networks featuring temporal alteration of chromatin remodeling. Interestingly, prediabetic dietary intervention completely rescues beta cell dysfunction, accompanied by a remarkable reversal of HFD-induced reprogramming of islet chromatin accessibility and transcriptome. Mechanistically, ATAC-based motif analysis identifies CTCF as the top candidate driving dietary intervention-induced preservation of beta cell function. CTCF expression is markedly decreased in beta cells from obese and diabetic mice and humans. Both dietary intervention and AAV-mediated restoration of CTCF expression ameliorate beta cell dysfunction ex vivo and in vivo, through transducing the lipid toxicity and inflammatory signals to transcriptional reprogramming of genes critical for beta cell glucose metabolism and stress response.

Automated summary

This study establishes a mouse model to investigate the adaptation process of pancreatic beta cells in response to high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. The findings show that dietary intervention can rescue beta cell dysfunction and reverse the changes in islet chromatin accessibility and transcriptome induced by HFD. The study also identifies CTCF as a key candidate gene involved in preserving beta cell function.