scholarly journals Mesenchymal MACF1 Facilitates SMAD7 Nuclear Translocation to Drive Bone Formation

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Zhao ◽  
Xiaoli Ma ◽  
Wuxia Qiu ◽  
Pai Wang ◽  
Ru Zhang ◽  
...  

Microtubule actin crosslinking factor 1 (MACF1) is a large crosslinker that contributes to cell integrity and cell differentiation. Recent studies show that MACF1 is involved in multiple cellular functions such as neuron development and epidermal migration, and is the molecular basis for many degenerative diseases. MACF1 is highly abundant in bones, especially in mesenchymal stem cells; however, its regulatory role is still less understood in bone formation and degenerative bone diseases. In this study, we found MACF1 expression in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of osteoporotic bone specimens was significantly lower. By conditional gene targeting to delete the mesenchymal Macf1 gene in mice, we observed in MSCs decreased osteogenic differentiation capability. During early stage bone development, the MACF1 conditional knockout (cKO) mice exhibit significant ossification retardation in skull and hindlimb, and by adulthood, mesenchymal loss of MACF1 attenuated bone mass, bone microarchitecture, and bone formation capability significantly. Further, we showed that MACF1 interacts directly with SMAD family member 7 (SMAD7) and facilitates SMAD7 nuclear translocation to initiate downstream osteogenic pathways. Hopefully these findings will expand the biological scope of the MACF1 gene, and provide an experimental basis for targeting MACF1 in degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis.

Open Biology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 150258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Wang ◽  
Zubin Zhou ◽  
Tianyi Wu ◽  
Wei Liu ◽  
Peipei Yin ◽  
...  

Although systemic or local inflammation, commonly featured by cytokine activation, is implicated in patients with bone loss, the underlying mechanisms are still elusive. As microRNAs (miR), a class of small non-coding RNAs involved in essential physiological processes, have been found in bone cells, we aimed to investigate the role of miR for modulating osteogenesis in inflammatory milieu using human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs). Induced by proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α, miR-150-3p was identified as a key player in suppressing osteogenic differentiation through downregulating β-catenin, a transcriptional co-activator promoting bone formation. TNF-α treatment increased the levels of miR-150-3p, which directly targeted the 3′-UTR of β-catenin mRNA and in turn repressed its expression. In addition, we observed that miR-150-3p expression was increased by TNF-α via IKK-dependent NF-κB signalling. There are three putative NF-κB binding sites in the promoter region of miR-150, and we identified −686 region as the major NF-κB binding site for stimulation of miR-150 expression by TNF-α. Finally, the osteogenic differentiation of hBM-MSCs was inhibited by either miR-150-3p overexpression or TNF-α treatment, which was prevented by anti-miR-150-3p oligonucleotides. Taken together, our data suggested that miR-150-3p integrated inflammation signalling and osteogenic differentiation and may contribute to the inhibition effects of inflammation on bone formation, thus expanding the pathophysiological functions of microRNAs in bone diseases.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Wei ◽  
Chengshuo Huang ◽  
Mingyan Zhao ◽  
Peng Li ◽  
Xiang Gao ◽  
...  

We evaluated the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in combination with allogeneic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) for the treatment of osteoporotic bone defects in an ovariectomized rat model. By day 42 after injury, in vivo microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) imaging revealed that bone defects of control rats and ovariectomized rats treated with PRP and BMSCs were completely repaired, whereas those of ovariectomized rats treated with PRP or BMSCs alone exhibited slower healing. Histological data were consistent with these results. We also assessed changes to bone trabeculae in the proximal tibial growth plate. In ovariectomized rats treated with PRP or with a combination of PRP and BMSCs, the trabecular connectivity densities (Conn.D), bone volume ratios (BV/TV), and numbers (Tb.N) in the defect areas increased significantly from day 7 to day 42. These results indicate that PRP treatment enhances bone microarchitecture in osteoporosis. Moreover, expression levels of osteogenesis-specific marker genes including RUNX2, OSX, and OPN were significantly upregulated in rats treated with PRP and BMSCs compared to those of other groups. Thus, we conclude that treatment with PRP combined with BMSCs significantly promotes healing of osteoporotic bone defects. This study provides an alternative strategy for the treatment of osteoporotic bone loss.


Author(s):  
Francesca Pagani ◽  
Elisa Tratta ◽  
Patrizia Dell’Era ◽  
Manuela Cominelli ◽  
Pietro Luigi Poliani

AbstractEarly B-cell factor-1 (EBF1) is a transcription factor with an important role in cell lineage specification and commitment during the early stage of cell maturation. Originally described during B-cell maturation, EBF1 was subsequently identified as a crucial molecule for proper cell fate commitment of mesenchymal stem cells into adipocytes, osteoblasts and muscle cells. In vessels, EBF1 expression and function have never been documented. Our data indicate that EBF1 is highly expressed in peri-endothelial cells in both tumor vessels and in physiological conditions. Immunohistochemistry, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis suggest that EBF1-expressing peri-endothelial cells represent bona fide pericytes and selectively express well-recognized markers employed in the identification of the pericyte phenotype (SMA, PDGFRβ, CD146, NG2). This observation was also confirmed in vitro in human placenta-derived pericytes and in human brain vascular pericytes (HBVP). Of note, in accord with the key role of EBF1 in the cell lineage commitment of mesenchymal stem cells, EBF1-silenced HBVP cells showed a significant reduction in PDGFRβ and CD146, but not CD90, a marker mostly associated with a prominent mesenchymal phenotype. Moreover, the expression levels of VEGF, angiopoietin-1, NG2 and TGF-β, cytokines produced by pericytes during angiogenesis and linked to their differentiation and activation, were also significantly reduced. Overall, the data suggest a functional role of EBF1 in the cell fate commitment toward the pericyte phenotype.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thakoon Thitiset ◽  
Siriporn Damrongsakkul ◽  
Supansa Yodmuang ◽  
Wilairat Leeanansaksiri ◽  
Jirun Apinun ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A novel biodegradable scaffold including gelatin (G), chitooligosaccharide (COS), and demineralized bone matrix (DBM) could play a significant part in bone tissue engineering. The present study aimed to investigate the biological characteristics of composite scaffolds in combination of G, COS, and DBM for in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal bioassays. Methods Three-dimensional scaffolds from the mixture of G, COS, and DBM were fabricated into 3 groups, namely, G, GC, and GCD using a lyophilization technique. The scaffolds were cultured with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for 4 weeks to determine biological responses such as cell attachment and cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, calcium deposition, cell morphology, and cell surface elemental composition. For the in vivo bioassay, G, GC, and GCD, acellular scaffolds were implanted subcutaneously in 8-week-old male Wistar rats for 4 weeks and 8 weeks. The explants were assessed for new bone formation using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and von Kossa staining. Results The MSCs could attach and proliferate on all three groups of scaffolds. Interestingly, the ALP activity of MSCs reached the greatest value on day 7 after cultured on the scaffolds, whereas the calcium assay displayed the highest level of calcium in MSCs on day 28. Furthermore, weight percentages of calcium and phosphorus on the surface of MSCs after cultivation on the GCD scaffolds increased when compared to those on other scaffolds. The scanning electron microscopy images showed that MSCs attached and proliferated on the scaffold surface thoroughly over the cultivation time. Mineral crystal aggregation was evident in GC and greatly in GCD scaffolds. H&E staining illustrated that G, GC, and GCD scaffolds displayed osteoid after 4 weeks of implantation and von Kossa staining confirmed the mineralization at 8 weeks in G, GC, and GCD scaffolds. Conclusion The MSCs cultured in GCD scaffolds revealed greater osteogenic differentiation than those cultured in G and GC scaffolds. Additionally, the G, GC, and GCD scaffolds could promote in vivo ectopic bone formation in rat model. The GCD scaffolds exhibited maximum osteoinductive capability compared with others and may be potentially used for bone regeneration.


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 096368972097539
Author(s):  
Akiko Toyota ◽  
Rei Shinagawa ◽  
Mikiko Mano ◽  
Kazuyuki Tokioka ◽  
Naoto Suda

Cleft lip and palate is a congenital disorder including cleft lip, and/or cleft palate, and/or alveolar cleft, with high incidence.The alveolar cleft causes morphological and functional abnormalities. To obtain bone bridge formation and continuous structure between alveolar clefts, surgical interventions are performed from infancy to childhood. However, desirable bone bridge formation is not obtained in many cases. Regenerative medicine using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is expected to be a useful strategy to obtain sufficient bone bridge formation between alveolar clefts. In this study, we examined the effect of human umbilical cord-derived MSCs by transplantation into a rat experimental alveolar cleft model. Human umbilical cords were digested enzymatically and the isolated cells were collected (UC-EZ cells). Next, CD146-positive cells were enriched from UC-EZ cells by magnetic-activated cell sorting (UC-MACS cells). UC-EZ and UC-MACS cells showed MSC gene/protein expression, in vitro. Both cells had multipotency and could differentiate to osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic lineages under the differentiation-inducing media. However, UC-EZ cells lacked Sox2 expression and showed the lower ratio of MSCs than UC-MACS cells. Thus, UC-MACS cells were transplanted with hydroxyapatite and collagen (HA + Col) into alveolar cleft model to evaluate bone formation in vivo. The results of micro computed tomography and histological staining showed that UC-MACS cells with HA + Col induced more abundant bone formation between the experimental alveolar clefts than HA + Col implantation only. Cells immunopositive for osteopontin were accumulated along the bone surface and some of them were embedded in the bone. Cells immunopositive for human-specific mitochondria were aligned along the newly formed bone surface and in the new bone, suggesting that UC-MACS cells contributed to the bone bridge formation between alveolar clefts. These findings indicate that human umbilical cords are reliable bioresource and UC-MACS cells are useful for the alveolar cleft regeneration.


2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 1087-1102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijun Duan ◽  
He Zhao ◽  
Yang Xiong ◽  
Xiangsheng Tang ◽  
Yongdong Yang ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Osteoporosis is a bone metabolic disease characterized by a systemic impairment of bone mass, which results in increased propensity of fragility fractures. A reduction in the differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts contributes to the impaired bone formation observed in osteoporosis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are induced to differentiate into preosteoblasts, which are regulated by the signaling cascades initiated by the various signals, including miRNAs. miR-16-2* is a newly discovered miRNA that participates in diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, cervical cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. However, the effect of miR-16-2* on the regulation of osteoblast differentiation and the mechanism responsible are still unclear. Here we discuss the contribution of miR-16-2* to osteoporosis, osteoblast differentiation and mineralization. Methods: The expression pattern of miR-16-2* during osteogenesis or in osteoporosis bone samples was validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were induced to differentiate into osteoblasts by osteogenic induced medium containing dexamethasone, ascorbate-2-phosphat, beta-glycerophosphate and vitamin-D3. The target genes of miR-16-2* were predicted by TargetScan and PicTar. The mRNA and protein levels of osteogenic key markers were detected using qRT-PCR or western blot respectively. The WNT signal activity was analyzed by TOP/FOP reporter assay. Results: The expression of miR-16-2* in patient bone tissue with osteoporosis was negatively correlated with bone formation related genes. During osteoblast differentiation process, the expression of miR-16-2* was significantly decreased. Upregulation of miR-16-2* in hBMSCs impaired the osteogenic differentiation while the downregulation of miR-16-2* increased this process. Upregulation the expression of miR-16-2* could also block the WNT signal pathway by directly target WNT5A. Furthermore, knockdown of miR-16-2* could promote the activation of RUNX2, possibly by lifting the inhibitory effect of miR-16-2* on WNT pathway. Conclusion: Taken together, we report a novel biological role of miR-16-2* in osteogenesis through regulating WNT5A response for the first time. Our data support the potential utilization of miRNA-based therapies in regenerative medicine.


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