Disclosed herein are bacterial proteins that increase pancreatic beta (β) cell number and/or proliferation, methods of increasing β cell number and/or proliferation using such proteins, and methods of treating or inhibiting diabetes in a subject by administering such proteins to the subject. In some embodiments, the protein has at least 80% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth as any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-7, or fragments thereof. Recombinant vectors including a nucleic acid encoding the protein (such as a nucleic acid encoding a protein with at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-7 or fragments thereof) operably linked to a heterologous promoter are also disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of identifying compounds that increase β cell number and/or proliferation by determining the effect of test compounds on β cell number or proliferation in zebrafish pancreas.
