Expression of mRNA of murine bone-related proteins in ectopic bone induced by murine bone morphogenetic protein-4

• Published in: Cell and tissue research 1994-07, Vol.277 (1), p.27-32
• Main Authors: HIROTA, S, TAKAOKA, K, HASHIMOTO, J, NAKASE, T, TAKEMURA, T, MORII, E, FUKUYAMA, A, MORIHANA, K, KITAMURA, Y, NOMURA, S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Bone and Bones - metabolism; Bone Diseases - metabolism; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; Choristoma - metabolism; Female; Fibroblasts - cytology; Fibroblasts - drug effects; Fibroblasts - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression; Growth Substances - pharmacology; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Osteoblasts - cytology; Osteoblasts - drug effects; Osteoblasts - metabolism; Osteocytes - cytology; Osteocytes - drug effects; Osteocytes - metabolism; Osteonectin - biosynthesis; Osteopontin; Phosphoproteins - biosynthesis; Proteins - pharmacology; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; Sialoglycoproteins - biosynthesis; Skeleton and joints; Vertebrates: osteoarticular system, musculoskeletal system
• ISSN: 0302-766X; 1432-0878
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00303077

To determine whether a system of ectopic bone formation induced by osteosarcoma-derived bone-inducing substance (bone morphogenetic protein-4) can be used as a model of developing bone at the molecular level, we studied the expression of bone-related protein mRNAs in the process of ectopic bone formation using non-radioisotopic in situ hybridization. Osteonectin mRNA was detected in fibroblast-like cells, which are similar to periosteal cells from the early to middle stages of bone development. The proportion of osteonectin mRNA-expressing cells was greater than that of osteopontin mRNA-expressing cells in hypertrophic chondrocytes and osteoblast-like cells. In contrast, osteopontin mRNA was localized in a limited population of hypertrophic chondrocytes, a single layer of osteoblast-like cells adjacent to the bone trabeculae in the middle stage of bone formation, and in a limited subset of osteocytes in the late stage. A strong osteocalcin mRNA signal was detected in osteoblast-like cells from the middle to late stages and in a limited subset of osteocytes in the late stage of bone development. Since the sequential gene expression pattern of bone-related proteins in the present system is comparable to that in embryonic osteogenesis, this system may be useful as a model for studying gene expression in osteogenesis.