Insulin Promoter Factor 1 (IPF)

IPF is a transcriptional activator of several genes, including insulin, somatostatin, glucokinase, islet amyloid polypeptide, and glucose transporter type 2. The encoded nuclear protein is involved in the early development of the pancreas and plays a major role in glucose-dependent regulation of insulin gene expression. Defects in this gene are a cause of pancreatic agenesis, which can lead to early-onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), as well as maturity onset diabetes of the young type 4 (MODY4). IPF1 appears to be not only a key regulator of islet peptide hormone expression but also responsible for the development of the pancreas, most probably by determining maturation and differentiation of common pancreatic precursor cells in the developing gut.