Studies on the Role of Cux1 in Regulation of the Onset of Joint Formation in the Developing Limb

Developmental Biology

Gail Lizarraga¹  Robert A. Kosher¹  William B. Upholt¹  Alexander Lichtler¹ 

[1] Department of BioStructure and Function, Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, 06030

关键词: joint development;    Cux1;    cartilage;    skeletal development;    limb development;    pattern formation;   

DOI  :  10.1006/dbio.2001.0559

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Academic Press

【 摘 要 】

Jointformation,theonsetofwhichischaracterizedbythesegmentationofcontinuousskeletalrudimentsintotwoormoreseparateelements,isafundamentalaspectoflimbpatternformation,playingacriticalroleindeterminingthesize,shape,andnumberofindividualskeletalelements.Jointformationisinitiatedbyconversionofdifferentiatedchondrocytesatsitesofpresumptivejointsintodenselypackednonchondrogeniccellsofthejointinterzone.ThisconversionisaccompaniedbylossofAlcianblue-stainingcartilagematrixanddownregulationofcartilage-specificgeneexpression.Here,wereportthatCux1,whichencodesatranscriptionfactorcontainingahomeodomainandotherDNA-bindingmotifs,ishighlyexpressedatallofthediscretesitesofincipientjointformationinthedevelopinglimbconcomitantwithconversionofdifferentiatedchondrocytesintointerzonetissue.Moreover,differentiatedlimbchondrocytesinmicromassculturesinfectedwithaCux1retroviralexpressionvectorareconvertedintononchondrogeniccellswhichexhibitlossofAlcianbluecartilagematrixanddownregulationofcartilage-specificgeneexpressionasoccursattheonsetofnormaljointformation.TheseresultssuggestthatCux1isinvolvedinregulatingtheonsetofjointformationbyfacilitatingconversionofchondrocytesintononchondrogeniccellsoftheinterzone.

【 授权许可】

Unknown