Vital Roles of β-catenin in Trans-differentiation of Chondrocytes to Bone Cells

International Journal of Biological Sciences
Yan JingJian Q Feng

Abstract

A recent breakthrough showing that direct trans-differentiation of chondrocytes into bone cells commonly occurs during endochondral bone formation in the growth plate, articular cartilage, and mandibular condylar cartilage suggests that chondrogenesis and osteogenesis are likely one continuous biological process instead of two separate processes. Yet, gene regulation of this cell transformation is largely unclear. Here, we employed cartilage-specific β-catenin loss-of-function (β-catenin fx/fx ) and gain-of-function (β-catenin fx(exon3)/ fx(exon3) ) models in the R26RTomato background (for better tracing the cell fate of chondrocytes) to study the role of β-catenin in cell trans-differentiation. Using histological, immunohistochemical, and radiological methods combined with cell lineage tracing techniques, we showed that deletion of β-catenin by either Acan-CreERT2 or Col10a1-Cre resulted in greatly reduced cell trans-differentiation with a significant decrease in subchondral bone volume during mandibular condylar growth. Molecular studies demonstrated severe defects in cell proliferation and differentiation in both chondrocytes and bone cells. The gain of function studies (constitutive activation of β-catenin with Acan-CreERT2...Continue Reading

Citations

Mar 4, 2019·Journal of Bone and Mineral Research : the Official Journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research·Tingjun LiuJian Q Feng
Feb 8, 2020·FASEB Journal : Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology·Angela RuscittoMildred C Embree
Sep 25, 2019·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Béla KovácsElőd Ernő Nagy
Apr 6, 2019·Current Osteoporosis Reports·Lena Ingeborg Wolff, Christine Hartmann
Feb 10, 2021·Osteoarthritis and Cartilage·A W Rogers-DeCotesC B Kern
Feb 21, 2021·Journal of Molecular Medicine : Official Organ of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Naturforscher Und Ärzte·Supinder Kour BaliFrank Beier
Jun 23, 2021·Journal of Bone and Mineral Research : the Official Journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research·Lena I WolffChristine Hartmann
Jul 28, 2021·Matrix Biology : Journal of the International Society for Matrix Biology·Prashant ChandrasekaranLin Han

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X-ray
scanning electron microscopy

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