Neonatal diabetes–associated missense PDX1 variant disrupts chromatin association and protein-protein interaction

PDX1 mutations are associated with multiple forms of diabetes, including syndromic, neonatal, mature onset diabetes of the young (MODY), and type 2 diabetes. Two PDX1 missense mutations (Thr151Met and Asn196Thr) were identified in a pediatric female patient that cause permanent neonatal diabetes, pancreas hypoplasia, and a malformed gallbladder. We found that the mouse Pdx1 Asn197Thr variant (homologous to human PDX1 Asn196Thr), but not Pdx1 Thr152Met (homologous to human PDX1 Thr151Met), altered its nuclear localization and disrupted the PDX1-ONECUT1 interaction. Neither variant substantially affected PDX1 protein stability, but both reduced PDX1 binding to the Pdx1 gene promoter. Importantly, the Pdx1 Asn197Thr variant caused pancreas agenesis and reduced enteroendocrine cells in the duodenum in genetically engineered mice, due at least in part to reduced Pdx1 promoter binding and disrupted PDX1-ONECUT1 interaction.