Figure 3. Panel 1 (A-H). The maturational lineage gradients in terms of endocrine traits.

Panel 1 (A-H) shows a proximal (PBGs)-to distal (PDGs) gradient in expression of early-to-late pancreatic commitment markers. PDX1 and SOX 17, transcription factors of early hepato-pancreatic commitment are co-expressed in nuclei of PBG cells (A). By contrast, SOX 17 is lost, and only PDX1 is expressed in the nuclei of PDG cells. (E) MUC6 shows an affinity for a differentiated compartment of the glandular epithelium; it is found in a portion of the cells in the PBGs (B) and in all cells in PDGs (F). NGN3, a marker of endocrine committed progenitors, is not found in the nuclei of any cells of the PBGs (B) but in a large proportion of cells within PDGs (F). EpCAM is found in only a subset of the cells in the PBGs (C) but in almost all of the cells of the PDGs (G). See also Fig S6. Insulin can be observed in rare cells in PBGs (C) but is found in a large number of cells in PDGs (G). A high proliferative activity is found in PBGs, as indicated by Ki-67 staining (D), whereas Ki-67 positivity is rarely found in PDGs (H). Scale Bars = 100 μm.