PDX1 and diabetes mellitus: For instance, Akerman et al. have demonstrated that the lncRNA PLUTO controlled 3D chromatin structure and the transcription of PDX1, a master regulator of pancreas development and β-cell differentiation, and that both PLUTO and PDX1 were downregulated in islets from organ donors with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, suggesting a potential role in DM (141).