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Summary: During endochondral ossification, small, immature chondrocytes enlarge to form hypertrophic chondrocytes, which express collagen X. In this work, we demonstrate that FoxA factors are induced during chondrogenesis, bind to conserved binding sites in the collagen X enhancer, and can promote the expression of a collagen X-luciferase reporter in both chondrocytes and fibroblasts. In addition, we demonstrate by both gain- and loss-of-function analyses that FoxA factors play a crucial role in driving the expression of both endogenous collagen X and other hypertrophic chondrocyte-specific genes. Mice engineered to lack expression of both FoxA2 and FoxA3 in their chondrocytes display defects in chondrocyte hypertrophy, alkaline phosphatase expression, and mineralization in their sternebrae and, in addition, exhibit postnatal dwarfism that is coupled to significantly decreased expression of both collagen X and MMP13 in their growth plates. Our findings indicate that FoxA family members are crucial regulators of the hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BMPs regulate cartilage differentiation and have been approved for clinical use as stimulators of bone repair. BMP signaling is complex and there are multiple potential points of regulation, including modulation of Smad signaling, which is inhibited by both Smad6 and Smad7. In the current manuscript we assessed the expression and biological function of Smad6 during chondrocyte differentiation. We found that the induction of chondrocyte differentiation by BMP-2 in chicken sternal embryonic chondrocytes was accompanied by a marked increase in Smad6 mRNA and protein levels. A morpholino antisense oligonucleotide complementary to Smad6 reduced the expression of Smad6 protein and enhanced the stimulatory effect of BMP-2 on both colX and alkaline phosphatase activity. In contrast, over-expression of Smad6 blocked BMP-2 mediated induction of the type X collagen promoter, b2-640 Luc. Therefore, expression studies as well as gain and loss of function experiments suggest that Smad6 participates in an important negative feedback loop whereby BMP-2 mediated effects on chondrocyte differentiation are reduced by induction of Smad6. Additional studies are required to determine the extent to which this pathway participates in pathologic processes involving cartilage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study demonstrates that ATF-2 cooperates with Smad3 to regulate the rate of chondrocyte maturation in response to TGF-β. ATF-2 was rapidly phosphorylated in chick embryonic cephalic sternal chondrocytes following treatment with TGF-β, and the effect was dependent upon p38 kinase activity. Transient transfection of both wild-type ATF-2 or Smad3 activated the TGF-β-responsive reporter, p3TP-Lux, and synergistic effects were observed with ATF-2 and Smad3 coexpression. The effect of Smad3 and ATF-2 alone and in combination on chondrocyte maturation was examined in cultures simultaneously infected with RCAS viruses expressing different viral envelope proteins. When expressed alone, wild-type ATF-2 or Smad3 both inhibit colX expression and partially mimic the effects of exogenous TGF-β. However, in combination the effects were additive and similar to the inhibitory effects of TGF-β on colX expression. Loss of function experiments using dominant negative ATF-2 or Smad3 partially blocked the inhibitory effect of TGF-β on colX, while together the blockade was complete. Similar effects were observed with another TGF-β-responsive gene, PTHrP. However, the induction of colX by BMP-2 was not affected by overexpression of either wild-type or dominant negative ATF-2, indicating specificity for TGF-β signaling. In contrast, although TGF-β does not activate CRE/CREB signaling, dominant negative CREB enhanced colX expression in control and in TGF-β and BMP-2-treated cultures. Thus, ATF-2 regulates chondrocyte maturation as a direct target of TGF-β signaling while CREB regulates differentiation by targeting genes independent of the individual signaling effects of TGF-β or BMP-2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Prostaglandins are ubiquitous metabolites of arachidonic acid, and cyclooxygenase inhibitors prevent their production and secretion. Animals with loss of cyclooxygenase-2 function have reduced reparative bone formation, but the role of prostaglandins during endochondral bone formation is not defined. The role of PGE2 as a regulator of chondrocyte differentiation in chick growth plate chondrocytes (GPCs) was examined. While PGE2, PGD2, PGF2α, and PGJ2 all inhibited colX expression, approximately 80% at 10−6 M, PGE2 was the most potent activator of cAMP response element (CRE)-mediated transcription. PGE2 dose-dependently inhibited the expression of the differentiation-related genes, colX, VEGF, MMP-13, and alkaline phosphatase gene, and enzyme activity with significant effects at concentrations as low as 10−10 M. PGE2 induced cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation and increased c-Fos protein levels by 5 min, and activated transcription at CRE-Luc, AP-1-Luc, and c-Fos promoter constructs. The protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, H-89, completely blocked PGE2-mediated induction of CRE-Luc and c-Fos promoter-Luc promoters, and partially inhibited induction of AP-1-Luc, while the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor Go-6976 partially inhibited all three promoters, demonstrating substantial cross-talk between these signaling pathways. PGE2 inhibition of colX gene expression was dependent upon both PKA and PKC signaling. These observations demonstrate potent prostaglandin regulatory effects on chondrocyte maturation and show a role for both PKA and PKC signaling in PGE2 regulatory events. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We previously found that FoxA factors are necessary for chondrocyte differentiation. To investigate whether FoxA factors alone are sufficient to drive chondrocyte hypertrophy, we build a FoxA2 transgenic mouse in which FoxA2 cDNA is driven by a reiterated T etracycline R esponse E lement (TRE) and a minimal CMV promoter. This transgenic line was crossed with a col2CRE;Rosa26 rtTA/+ mouse line to generate col2CRE;Rosa26 rtTA/+ ;TgFoxA2 +/− mice for inducible expression of FoxA2 in cartilage using doxycycline treatment. Ectopic expression of FoxA2 in the developing skeleton reveals skeletal defects and shorter skeletal elements in E17.5 mice. The chondro-osseous border was frequently mis-shaped in mutant mice, with small islands of col.10+ hypertrophic cells extending in the metaphyseal bone. Even though overexpression of FoxA2 causes an accumulation of hypertrophic chondrocytes, it did not trigger ectopic hypertrophy in the immature chondrocytes. This suggests that FoxA2 may need transcriptional co-factors (such as Runx2), whose expression is restricted to the hypertrophic zone, and absent in the immature chondrocytes. To investigate a potential FoxA2/Runx2 interaction in immature chondrocytes versus hypertrophic cells, we separated these two subpopulations by FACS to obtain CD24+CD200+ hypertrophic chondrocytes and CD24+CD200− immature chondrocytes and we ectopically expressed FoxA2 alone or in combination with Runx2 via lentiviral gene delivery. In CD24+CD200+ hypertrophic chondrocytes, FoxA2 enhanced the expression of chondrocyte hypertrophic markers collagen 10 , MMP13 , and alkaline phosphatase. In contrast, in the CD24+CD200− immature chondrocytes, neither FoxA2 nor Runx2 overexpression could induce ectopic expression of hypertrophic markers MMP13 , alkaline phosphatase , or PTH/PTHrP receptor. Overall these findings mirror our in vivo data, and suggest that induction of chondrocyte hypertrophy by FoxA2 may require other factors in addition to Runx2 (i.e., Hif2α, MEF2C, or perhaps unknown factors), whose expression/activity is rate-limiting in immature chondrocytes. • FoxA 1-3 are highly expressed in the hypertrophic zone (HZ) of the growth plate (GP) during skeletogenesis. • Ectopic expression of FoxA2 in the developing skeleton results in shorter skeletal elements. • FoxA2 overexpression contributes to the HZ expansion, at the expense of the POC (primary ossification center) formation. • Chondrocyte-specific overexpression of FoxA2 cannot trigger ectopic hypertrophy in immature chondrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]