title: Collagen expression in embryonic chicken chondrocytes treated with phorbol myristate acetate.
abstract: Growth of embryonic chicken sternal chondrocytes in the presence of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), a potent tumor promoter, resulted in a dramatic morphological change from spherical floating cells to adherent fibroblastic cells. This morphological change was accompanied by a quantitative switch from synthesis of cartilage-specific type II procollagen to type I procollagen. Type II procollagen mRNA levels decreased 10-fold in PMA-treated cells. Activation of type I collagen genes led to the accumulation of type I procollagen mRNA levels comparable to those of type II mRNA in these cells. However, only type I procollagen mRNA was translated. In addition to gene activation, unprocessed pro alpha 1(I) transcripts present at low levels in control chondrocytes were processed to mature mRNA species. Redifferentiation of PMA-treated chondrocytes was possible if cells were removed from PMA after the morphological change and cessation of type II procollagen synthesis but before detectable amounts of type I procollagen were synthesized. Production of type I collagen thus marks a late phase of chondrocyte "dedifferentiation" from which reversion is no longer possible. Redifferentiated cell populations contained 24-fold more pro alpha 1(II) collagen mRNA than pro alpha 1(I) collagen mRNA, but the rates of procollagen synthesis were comparable. This suggests that the PMA-mediated dedifferentiation of chondrocytes as well as their redifferentiation is under both transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D010704:Phorbols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011347:Procollagen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D010704:Phorbols; D011347:Procollagen; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003094:Collagen; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate