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Cortical bone porosity is intimately linked with remodeling, is of growing clinical interest, and is increasingly accessible by imaging. Thus, the potential of animal models of osteoporosis (OP) to provide a platform for studying how porosity develops and responds to interventions is tremendous. To date, rabbit models of OP have largely focused on trabecular microarchitecture or bone density; some such as ovariectomy (OVX) have uncertain efficacy and cortical porosity has not been extensively reported. Our primary objective was to characterize tibial cortical porosity in rabbit‐based models of OP, including OVX, glucocorticoids (GC), and OVX + GC relative to controls (SHAM). We sought to: (i) test the hypothesis that intracortical remodeling is elevated in these models; (ii) contrast cortical remodeling and porosity in these models with that induced by parathyroid hormone (1–34; PTH); and (iii) contrast trabecular morphology in the proximal tibia across all groups. Evidence that an increase in cortical porosity occurred in all groups was observed, although this was the least robust for GC. Histomorphometric measures supported the hypothesis that remodeling rate was elevated in all groups and also revealed evidence of uncoupling of bone resorption and formation in the GC and OVX + GC groups. For trabecular bone, a pattern of loss was observed for OVX, GC, and OVX + GC groups, whereas the opposite was observed for PTH. Change in trabecular number best explained these patterns. Taken together, the findings indicated rabbit models provide a viable and varied platform for the study of OP and associated changes in cortical remodeling and porosity. Intriguingly, the evidence revealed differing effects on the cortical and trabecular envelopes for the PTH model. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR)..

Ancestors of the Antarctic icefishes (family Channichthyidae) were benthic and had no swim bladder, making it energetically expensive to rise from the ocean floor. To exploit the water column, benthopelagic icefishes were hypothesized to have evolved a skeleton with “reduced bone,” which gross anatomical data supported. Here, we tested the hypothesis that changes to icefish bones also occurred below the level of gross anatomy. Histology and micro‐CT imaging of representative craniofacial bones (i.e., ceratohyal, frontal, dentary, and articular) of extant Antarctic fish species specifically evaluated two features that might cause the appearance of “reduced bone”: bone microstructure (e.g., bone volume fraction and structure linear density) and bone mineral density (BMD, or mass of mineral per volume of bone). Measures of bone microstructure were not consistently different in bones from the icefishes Chaenocephalus aceratus and Champsocephalus gunnari, compared to the related benthic notothenioids Notothenia coriiceps and Gobionotothen gibberifrons. Some quantitative measures, such as bone volume fraction and structure linear density, were significantly increased in some icefish bones compared to homologous bones of non‐icefish. However, such differences were rare, and no microstructural measures were consistently different in icefishes across all bones and species analyzed. Furthermore, BMD was similar among homologous bones of icefish and non‐icefish Antarctic notothenioids. In summary, “reduced bone” in icefishes was not due to systemic changes in bone microstructure or BMD, raising the prospect that “reduced bone” in icefish occurs only at the gross anatomic level (i.e., smaller or fewer bones). Given that icefishes exhibit delayed skeletal development compared to non‐icefish Antarctic fishes, combining these phenotypic data with genomic data might clarify genetic changes driving skeletal heterochrony., Antarctic icefishes are amazing examples of evolutionary adaptation. Here, we show quantitatively that icefish skeletons did not change bone microstructure or bone mineral density, relative to closely related fish species.

The lacunar-canalicular network (LCN) of bone contains osteocytes and their dendritic extensions, which allow for intercellular communication, and are believed to serve as the mechanosensors that coordinate the processes of bone modeling and remodeling. Imbalances in remodeling, for example, are linked to bone disease, including fragility associated with aging. We have reported that there is a reduction in scale for one component of the LCN, osteocyte lacunar volume, across the human lifespan in females. In the present study, we explore the hypothesis that canalicular porosity also declines with age. To visualize the LCN and to determine how its components are altered with aging, we examined samples from young (age: 20–23 y; n = 5) and aged (age: 70–86 y; n = 6) healthy women donors utilizing a fluorescent labelling technique in combination with confocal laser scanning microscopy. A large cross-sectional area of cortical bone spanning the endosteal to periosteal surfaces from the anterior proximal femoral shaft was examined in order to account for potential trans-cortical variation in the LCN. Overall, we found that LCN areal fraction was reduced by 40.6% in the samples from aged women. This reduction was due, in part, to a reduction in lacunar density (21.4% decline in lacunae number per given area of bone), but much more so due to a 44.6% decline in canalicular areal fraction. While the areal fraction of larger vascular canals was higher in endosteal vs. periosteal regions for both age groups, no regional differences were observed in the areal fractions of the LCN and its components for either age group. Our data indicate that the LCN is diminished in aged women, and is largely due to a decline in the canalicular areal fraction, and that, unlike vascular canal porosity, this diminished LCN is uniform across the cortex., Highlights • The lacunar-canalicular network (LCN) is reduced by 40.6% in aged women • The lacunar density (lacunae number per given area of bone) is reduced by 21.4% in aged women • The reduction in LCN in aged women is primarily due to a 44.6% loss of canaliculi • No endosteal vs. periosteal regional differences were observed in the LCN and its components in either young or aged women • A reduction in canaliculi with age may contribute to bone fragility in aged women

Retinoic acid (RA) signaling is necessary for proper patterning and morphogenesis during embryonic development. Tissue specific RA signaling requires precise spatial and temporal synthesis of RA from retinal by retinaldehyde dehydrogenases (Raldh) and the conversion of retinol to retinal by retinol dehydrogenases (Rdh) of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reducatase gene family (SDR). The SDR, retinol dehydrogenase 10 (RDH10), is a major contributor to retinal biosynthesis during mid-gestation. We have identified a missense mutation in the Rdh10 gene (Rdh10m366Asp) using an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-induced forward genetic screen that result in reduced RA levels and signaling during embryonic development. Rdh10m366Asp mutant embryos have unique phenotypes, such as edema, a massive midline facial cleft, and neurogenesis defects in the forebrain, that will allow the identification of novel RA functions.

SummaryExtrinsic signals controlling generation of neocortical neurons during embryonic life have been difficult to identify. In this study we demonstrate that the dorsal forebrain meninges communicate with the adjacent radial glial endfeet and influence cortical development. We took advantage of Foxc1 mutant mice with defects in forebrain meningeal formation. Foxc1 dosage and loss of meninges correlated with a dramatic reduction in both neuron and intermediate progenitor production and elongation of the neuroepithelium. Several types of experiments demonstrate that retinoic acid (RA) is the key component of this secreted activity. In addition, Rdh10- and Raldh2-expressing cells in the dorsal meninges were either reduced or absent in the Foxc1 mutants, and Rdh10 mutants had a cortical phenotype similar to the Foxc1 null mutants. Lastly, in utero RA treatment rescued the cortical phenotype in Foxc1 mutants. These results establish RA as a potent, meningeal-derived cue required for successful corticogenesis.

Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signals are transduced into nuclear ratios of Gli transcriptional activator versus repressor. The initial part of this process is accomplished by Shh acting through Patched (Ptc) to regulate Smoothened (Smo) activity. The mechanisms by which Ptc regulates Smo, and Smo activity is transduced to processing of Gli proteins remain unclear. Recently, a forward genetic approach in mice identified a role for intraflagellar transport (IFT) genes in Shh signal transduction, downstream of Patched (Ptc) and Rab23. Here, we show that the retrograde motor for IFT is required in the mouse for the phenotypic expression of both Gli activator and repressor function and for effective proteolytic processing of Gli3. Furthermore, we show that the localization of Smo to primary cilia is disrupted in mutants. These data indicate that primary cilia act as specialized signal transduction organelles required for coupling Smo activity to the biochemical processing of Gli3 protein.

Interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) is a powerful activator of osteoclast cells. However, the underlying mechanism for this activation is unknown. In this study, we reveal that IL-1alpha up-regulates the expression of cathepsin K protein, a key protease in bone resorption, by five-fold. Northern blot analysis and promoter analysis show that this induction occurs at the transcriptional level, in a dose-responsive and time-dependent manner. No increase in expression occurs in the presence of either pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a selective inhibitor of NF-kappaB, or Genistein, a protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, suggesting that IL-1alpha up-regulation may be via the tyrosine kinase-NF-kappaB pathway to regulate cathepsin K expression. Antisense oligonucleotides to p65, but not the p50 subunit of NF-kappaB, suppress the IL-1alpha-induced expression of cathepsin K. We therefore conclude that IL-1alpha up-regulates cathepsin K gene expression at the transcription level, and this regulation may be via the tyrosine-kinase-NF-kappaB pathway.

Mouse mutants have allowed us to gain significant insight into axis development. However, much remains to be learned about the cellular and molecular basis of early forebrain patterning. We describe a lethal mutation mouse strain generated using promoter-trap mutagenesis. The mutants exhibit severe forebrain truncation in homozygous mouse embryos and various craniofacial defects in heterozygotes. We show that the defects are caused by disruption of the gene encoding cellular nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP); Cnbp transgenic mice were able to rescue fully the mutant phenotype. Cnbp is first expressed in the anterior visceral endoderm (AVE) and, subsequently, in the anterior definitive endoderm (ADE), anterior neuroectoderm (ANE), anterior mesendoderm (AME), headfolds and forebrain. In Cnbp -/- embryos, the visceral endoderm remains in the distal tip of the conceptus and the ADE fails to form, whereas the node and notochord form normally. A substantial reduction in cell proliferation was observed in the anterior regions of Cnbp -/- embryos at gastrulation and neural-fold stages. In these regions, Myc expression was absent, indicating CNBP targets Myc in rostral head formation. Our findings demonstrate that Cnbp is essential for the forebrain induction and specification.

Precise regulation of Wnt signaling is important in many contexts, as in development of the vertebrate forebrain, where excessive or ectopic Wnt signaling leads to severe brain defects. Mutation of the widely expressed oto gene causes loss of the anterior forebrain during mouse embryogenesis. Here we report that oto is the mouse ortholog of the gpi deacylase gene pgap1, and that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident Oto protein has a novel and deacylase-independent function during Wnt maturation. Oto increases the hydrophobicities of Wnt3a and Wnt1 by promoting the addition of glycophosphatidylinositol (gpi)-like anchors to these Wnts, which results in their retention in the ER. We also report that oto-deficient embryos exhibit prematurely robust Wnt activity in the Wnt1 domain of the early neural plate. We examine the effect of low oto expression on Wnt1 in vitro by knocking down endogenous oto expression in 293 and M14 melanoma cells using shRNA. Knockdown of oto results in increased Wnt1 secretion which is correlated with greatly enhanced canonical Wnt activity. These data indicate that oto deficiency increases Wnt signaling in vivo and in vitro. Finally, we address the mechanism of Oto-mediated Wnt retention under oto-abundant conditions, by cotransfecting Wnt1 with gpi-specific phospholipase D (GPI-PLD). The presence of GPI-PLD in the secretory pathway results in increased secretion of soluble Wnt1, suggesting that the gpi-like anchor lipids on Wnt1 mediate its retention in the ER. These data now provide a mechanistic framework for understanding the forebrain defects in oto mice, and support a role for Oto-mediated Wnt regulation during early brain development. Our work highlights a critical role for ER retention in regulating Wnt signaling in the mouse embryo, and gives insight into the notoriously inefficient secretion of Wnts.

Striking conservation in various organisms suggests that cellular nucleic acid-binding protein (CNBP) plays a fundamental biological role across different species. However, the regulated expression and physiological properties of the CNBP gene are unknown. In this study, we report the molecular cloning, promoter characterization, developmental expression and functional analysis of the mouse CNBP gene. The gene contains five exons and is localized to chromosome 6 in the region corresponding to band 6 D1-D2. Primer extension assay indicates that the transcription start site is located 230 bp upstream of the initiator Met codon. Our promoter analysis indicates that strong transcription enhancer and silencer regions lie within the 1.6 kb proximal region of the promoter and the upstream −3.0 to −1.6 kb region, respectively. The promoter activity is 10 fold higher in embryonic carcinoma cells than that in fibroblast, as determined by CAT assay. Consistent with its function as a transcription factor, CNBP protein is located in the nucleus of cells. During mouse embryogenesis, CNBP is expressed in the anterior region of the early embryo and in the limb, tail and craniofacial region. Overexpression of CNBP strongly stimulates cell proliferation and increases c-myc promoter activity. Our finds suggest that CNBP may play an important role in cell proliferation and tissue patterning during anterior-posterior axis, craniofacial and limb development by targeting c-Myc.

Our expression studies of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and Noggin (a BMP antagonist) in the embryonic chicken face suggested that BMP signals were important for closure of the upper lip or primary palate. We noted that Noggin expression was restricted to the frontonasal mass epithelium but was reduced at the corners of the frontonasal mass (globular processes) just prior to fusion with the adjacent maxillary prominences. We therefore performed gain- and loss-of-function experiments to determine the role of BMPs in lip formation. Noggin treatment led to reduced proliferation and outgrowth of the frontonasal mass and maxillary prominences and ultimately to the deletion of the maxillary and palatine bones. The temporary block in BMP signalling in the mesenchyme also promoted epithelial survival. Noggin treatment also upregulated expression of endogenous BMPs, therefore we investigated whether increasing BMP levels would lead to the same phenotype. A BMP2 bead was implanted into the globular process and a similar phenotype to that produced by Noggin resulted. However, instead of a decrease in proliferation, defects were caused by increased programmed cell death, first in the epithelium and then in the mesenchyme. Programmed cell death was induced primarily in the lateral frontonasal mass with very little cell death medial to the bead. The asymmetric cell death pattern was correlated with a rapid induction of Noggin in the same embryos, with transcripts complementary to the regions with increased cell death. We have demonstrated a requirement for endogenous BMP in the proliferation of facial mesenchyme and that mesenchymal signals promote either survival or thinning of the epithelium. We furthermore demonstrated in vivo that BMP homeostasis is regulated by increasing expression of ligand or antagonist and that such mechanisms may help to protect the embryo from changes in growth factor levels during development or after exposure to teratogens.

The mechanisms by which ethanol and inhaled anesthetics influence the nervous system are poorly understood. Here we describe the positional cloning and characterization of a new mouse mutation isolated in an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) forward mutagenesis screen for animals with enhanced locomotor activity. This allele, Lightweight (Lwt), disrupts the homolog of the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) unc-79 gene. While Lwt/Lwt homozygotes are perinatal lethal, Lightweight heterozygotes are dramatically hypersensitive to acute ethanol exposure. Experiments in C. elegans demonstrate a conserved hypersensitivity to ethanol in unc-79 mutants and extend this observation to the related unc-80 mutant and nca-1;nca-2 double mutants. Lightweight heterozygotes also exhibit an altered response to the anesthetic isoflurane, reminiscent of unc-79 invertebrate mutant phenotypes. Consistent with our initial mapping results, Lightweight heterozygotes are mildly hyperactive when exposed to a novel environment and are smaller than wild-type animals. In addition, Lightweight heterozygotes exhibit increased food consumption yet have a leaner body composition. Interestingly, Lightweight heterozygotes voluntarily consume more ethanol than wild-type littermates. The acute hypersensitivity to and increased voluntary consumption of ethanol observed in Lightweight heterozygous mice in combination with the observed hypersensitivity to ethanol in C. elegans unc-79, unc-80, and nca-1;nca-2 double mutants suggests a novel conserved pathway that might influence alcohol-related behaviors in humans., Author Summary Alcoholism is costly to both individuals and society. Studies of twins indicate that there is a substantial genetic component to this disease; however, it has been difficult to identify underlying genetic factors in humans, in part because of the small effect of any one gene. Because of their genetic uniformity, subtle effects on behavior of single gene deletions can be detected in inbred mice and used to model human disease. Here we describe the identification of a new mouse mutant, named Lightweight, with altered response to alcohol and inhaled anesthetics. Lightweight mice are dramatically hypersensitive to a high-dose injection of alcohol. In addition, when given a choice, Lightweight mutants voluntarily consume more alcohol than non-mutant animals. Lightweight mice may provide novel insight into the mechanism of action of alcohol, and studies of this gene in humans may lead to a better understanding of alcoholism and its treatment.

Precise control of neuronal migration is essential for proper function of the brain. Taking a forward genetic screen, we isolated a mutant mouse with defects in interneuron migration. By genetic mapping, we identified a frame shift mutation in the pericentrin (Pcnt) gene. The Pcnt gene encodes a large centrosomal coiled-coil protein that has been implicated in schizophrenia. Recently, frame shift and premature termination mutations in the pericentrin (PCNT) gene were identified in individuals with Seckel syndrome and microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism (MOPD II), both of which are characterized by greatly reduced body and brain sizes. The mouse Pcnt mutant shares features with the human syndromes in its overall growth retardation and reduced brain size. We found that dorsal lateral ganglionic eminence (dLGE)-derived olfactory bulb interneurons are severely affected and distributed abnormally in the rostral forebrain in the mutant. Furthermore, mutant interneurons exhibit abnormal migration behavior and RNA interference knockdown of Pcnt impairs cell migration along the rostal migratory stream (RMS) into the olfactory bulb. These findings indicate that pericentrin is required for proper migration of olfactory bulb interneurons and provide a developmental basis for association of pericentrin function with interneuron defects in human schizophrenia.

Embryonic facial development in chick embryos involves a sequential activation of genes that control differential growth and patterning of the beak. In the present study we isolate one such gene, the transcription factor, AP-2, that is known to be expressed in the face of mouse embryos. The protein sequence of chick AP-2α is 94% homologous to human and mouse AP-2. Wholemountin situhybridization with a probe for chick AP-2 identifies expression from primitive streak stages up to stage 28. The most striking expression patterns in the head are during neural crest cell migration when AP-2 transcripts follow closely the tracts previously mapped for neural crest cells. Later, expression in the facial mesenchyme is strongest in the frontonasal mass and lateral nasal prominences and is downregulated in the maxillary and mandibular prominences. Once limb buds are visible, high expression is seen in the distal mesenchyme but not in the apical ectodermal ridge. The expression patterns of AP-2 in stage 20 embryos suggested that the gene may be important in “budding out” of facial prominences and limb buds. We implanted beads soaked in retinoic acid in the right nasal pit of stage 20 embryos resulting in a specific inhibition of outgrowth of the frontonasal mass and lateral nasal prominences. AP-2 expression was completely down-regulated in the lateral nasal within 8 hr of bead application. In addition, the normal up-regulation of AP-2 in the frontonasal mass did not occur following retinoic-acid treatment. There was an increase in programmed cell death around the right nasal pit that accompanied the down-regulation of AP-2. Prominences whose morphogenesis were not affected by retinoic acid did not have altered expression patterns. We removed the apical ectodermal ridge in stage 20 limb buds and found that AP-2 expression was partially downregulated 4 hr following ridge removal and completely downregulated 8 hr following stripping. Application of an FGF-4 soaked bead to the apex of the limb bud maintained AP-2 expression. Thus AP-2 is involved in outgrowth and could be regulated by factors such as FGFs that are present in the ectoderm of both the face and limb.