Revealing secretogranine (SCG2) gene expression in PANC1 cell line that forms islet like cell aggregates (ISA) by induction

Pancreas tissue originated cancerous cell line PANC-1 is exocrine derived and shows proliferative response to insulin. This cell line can form aggregates under some specific conditions and it may produce some of the pancreatic hormones. Parallel to the hormonal expression, we aimed to investigate secretogranine (SCG2), somatostatin (SST) and glucagon (GCG) gene expression profiles in these three dimensional islet-like cell aggregates (ICA), in order to test our prediction indicated as they can be used as a cellular model for screening of molecules related to secretion. Using the RNA from harvested cells under basal and induced conditions, the cDNA was synthesized and RT-qPCR was performed to detect SCG2 specific amplification. In our experimental model, PDX1, POU5F1, KLF4, SST and GCG expressions were tracked as control genes, and array results were validated. As house-keeping control PPIA gene was used because of its preferable expression stability. In this thesis study; the gene expression levels of SCG2 (an important vesicular transport protein), were found to be increased by 30.5 (p=1.17x10-5) fold when comparing the cells under basal conditions to nascent ICA formations (day 0 and day 14 differentiation protocol samples). Moreover, SST and POU5F1 gene expressions were also significantly increased although not reaching significance levels as of SCG2 gene.