TGF Beta Inducible Early Response Gene 1 (TIEG1)

Tachibana et al. characterized the expression and function in exocrine pancreatic epithelial cells of the TGF-beta-inducible early gene (TIEG), a Kruppel-like zinc finger transcription factor-encoding gene previously isolated from mesodermally derived osteoblastic cells by Subramaniam et al. Tachibana et al.  demonstrated that the gene is expressed in both acinar and ductular epithelial cell populations from the exocrine pancreas. In addition, they showed that the expression of TIEG is regulated by TGF-beta-1 (TGFB1) as an early response gene in pancreatic epithelial cell lines. Overexpression of TIEG in a TGF-beta-sensitive epithelial cell line was sufficient to induce apoptosis. Thus, Tachibana et al. concluded that TIEG plays a role in linking TGF-beta-mediated signaling cascades to the regulation of pancreatic epithelial cell growth.