title: Inhibition of terminal chondrocyte differentiation by bone morphogenetic protein 7 (OP-1) in vitro depends on the periarticular region but is independent of parathyroid hormone-related peptide.
abstract: Bone morphogenetic protein-7, or BMP-7 (OP-1), is highly expressed in the perichondrium of embryonic long bones and is thought to play a role in endochondral ossification. Previously we have shown that BMP-7 inhibits terminal chondrocyte differentiation; that is, chondrocyte hypertrophy and mineralization in cultured explants of embryonic mouse metatarsals. However, the mechanism of this inhibition and the target cells of BMP-7 are still unknown. In this study we show that BMP-7 inhibits terminal chondrocyte differentiation indirectly, via an interaction with the periarticular region of the explants. This region also expresses parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP). PTHrP regulates terminal chondrocyte differentiation by inhibiting hypertrophic differentiation of prehypertrophic chondrocytes. The differentiating center in turn regulates PTHrP expression via a feedback loop involving Indian hedgehog (Ihh), which is expressed in the prehypertrophic chondrocytes. Ihh is thought to act on perichondrial cells, which in turn start to express an as yet unknown mediator that stimulates PTHrP expression in the periarticular region. It has been suggested that this factor belongs to the BMP-family. We investigated whether the inhibition of terminal chondrocyte differentiation by BMP-7 was due to upregulation of the PTHrP-Ihh feedback loop and whether BMP-7 was the unknown factor in the loop. Here we show that exogenous BMP-7 did not upregulate the mRNA expression of PTHrP, Ihh, or the PTH/PTHrP receptor in cultured wild-type embryonic metatarsals. Furthermore, BMP-7 could still inhibit terminal chondrocyte differentiation in the metatarsals of PTHrP-deficient (PTHrP-/-) mouse embryos. These data indicate that the BMP-7-mediated inhibition of terminal chondrocyte differentiation in vitro is independent of the PTHrP-Ihh feedback loop. We concluded that BMP-7 modulates terminal chondrocyte differentiation and cartilage mineralization of fetal bone explants in vitro via as yet unknown inhibitory factor(s) produced in the periarticular region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Cell Biology ACTA, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haaijman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karperien
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lanske
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hendriks
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Löwik
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bronckers
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Burger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055419:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005246:Feedback; D008682:Metatarsal Bones / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; D011506:Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta
chemical_list: D055419:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; D011506:Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta