Bone morphogenetic protein-2 causes commitment and differentiation in C3H10T1/2 and 3T3 cells.
C3H10T1/2 cells are an established mesenchymal stem cell line which can differentiate into muscle, fat and cartilage cells when treated with azacytidine. Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) caused a dose dependent differentiation of these cells into fat, cartilage and bone cells-low concentrations favoring adipocytes and high concentrations chondrocytes and osteoblasts. The differentiated phenotypes were stable in the absence of BMP-2. Furthermore, the addition of other growth factors during the differentiation process altered the frequency of the differentiated colony formation. Transfection of the C3H10T1/2 cells with a BMP-2 cDNA also induced a phenotypic change from the parental fibroblast to adipocytes and osteoblasts. Our results in this model system indicate that a single protein factor can cause differentiation of a stem cell line to multiple phenotypes, that phenotypes induced can be regulated by factor concentration, and that other factors can also influence BMP-2 induced differentiation.
Wang
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Developmental Biology, Genetics Institute, 87 Cambridgepark Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140.
Israel
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Kelly
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Luxenberg
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D016475:3T3 Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D010641:Phenotype; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D014162:Transfection
D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D011506:Proteins