title: Changes in osteoblast phenotype during differentiation of enzymatically isolated rat calvaria cells.
abstract: Osteoblasts enzymatically isolated from newborn rat calvariae show various phenotypes including formation of mineralized bone nodules in culture. We investigated the temporal changes in osteoblast phenotype in these cells up to day 20 in culture. These cells formed unmineralized nodules by day 5. Mineralization was observed at the center of nodules by day 10, and nodules became larger on day 15. The nodules were surrounded by numerous alkaline phosphatase (ALP)-positive cells. ALP activity gradually increased by day 20. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) responsiveness increased with time in culture. Osteoblasts produced no osteocalcin by day 10, but its synthesis was detected from day 15. These cells expressed substantial levels of ALP and PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNAs as early as day 5 in culture, but very weak expression of osteocalcin mRNA on day 5. The levels of expression of these transcripts increased with time in culture. In situ hybridization demonstrated that PTH/PTHrP receptor and osteocalcin mRNAs were strongly expressed in nodules, but the former appeared much earlier than the latter. BMP-2 and BMP-4 mRNAs also appeared in the cells forming nodules. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that cells expressing either BMP-2/4 or their receptors (BMPR-IA, BMPR-IB, and BMPR-II) preferentially appeared in nodules. These observations suggested that BMPs play an important role in the formation of mineralized bone nodules in an autocrine and/or paracrine fashion in these cells. The present study confirmed that osteoblasts enzymatically isolated from newborn rat calvariae are a useful tool for studying the differentiation process of osteoblasts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokose
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishizuya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyazono
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shibasaki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D044168:Receptor, Parathyroid Hormone, Type 1; D018016:Receptors, Parathyroid Hormone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012886:Skull / Q000166:cytology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C525720:Bmp2 protein, rat; C525811:Bmp4 protein, rat; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D044168:Receptor, Parathyroid Hormone, Type 1; D018016:Receptors, Parathyroid Hormone; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D015675:Osteocalcin; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase