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Fondation pour Recherches Médicales, University of Geneva, Av. de la Roseraie 64, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland

(Requests for offprints should be addressed to W Schlegel; Email: werner.schlegel{at}medecine.unige.ch)

FOXO transcription factors critically control fundamental cellular processes, including metabolism, cell differentiation, cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, and other reactions to cellular stress. FOXO factors sense the balance between stimuli promoting growth and differentiation versus stress stimuli signaling damage. Integrated through the FOXO system, these divergent stimuli decide on cell fate, a choice between proliferation, differentiation, or apoptosis. In pancreatic ß cells, most recent evidence highlights complex FOXO-dependent responses to glucose, insulin, or other growth factors, which include regulatory feedback. In the short term, FOXO-dependent mechanisms help ß cells to accomplish their endocrine function, and may increase their resistance to oxidative stress due to transient hyperglycemia. In the long term, FOXO-dependent responses lead to the adaptation of ß cell mass, conditioning the future ability of the organism to produce insulin and cope with changes in fuel abundance. FOXO emerges as a key factor for the maintenance of a functional endocrine pancreas and represents an interesting element in the development of therapeutic approaches to treat diabetes. This review on the role of FOXO transcription factors in pancreatic ß cells has three parts. In Part I, FOXO transcription factors will be presented in general: structure, molecular mechanisms of regulation, cellular functions, and physiological roles. Part II will focus on specific data about FOXO factors in pancreatic ß cells. Lastly in Part III, it will be attempted to combine general and ß cell-specific knowledge with the aim to envisage globally the role of FOXO factors in ß cell-linked physiology and disease.