title: Extracellular collagen regulates expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 gene.
abstract: A complex interrelationship exists between the extracellular matrix and cytokine signaling in articular chondrocytes. We sought to determine whether the extracellular matrix serves as a regulatory component of transforming growth factor-beta1 expression. Bovine articular chondrocytes were isolated and resuspended in alginate, yielding final extracellular protein concentrations of 0 to 1.5% (wt/vol) for type-II or type-I collagen. Cultures were maintained for 7 days in the presence or absence of transforming growth factor-beta1-supplemented medium (10 ng/ml). The amount of transforming growth factor-beta1 mRNA was examined with quantitative competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. The results indicate that exogenous transforming growth factor-beta1 stimulates endogenous transforming growth factor-beta1 mRNA expression approximately 8-fold. This effect depended on the concentration of extracellular type-II collagen. As the concentration of extracellular type-II collagen is increased, the expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 mRNA decreases in both basal and transforming growth factor-beta1-stimulated cultures. Exogenous extracellular type-I collagen also served to negatively modulate transforming growth factor-beta1 gene expression but with a different concentration profile. The results demonstrate that transforming growth factor-beta1 mRNA expression was upregulated by exogenous transforming growth factor-beta1 and was downregulated by extracellular type-I and type-II collagens. The profoundly different effects on transforming growth factor-beta1 expression by the two collagens are consistent with those reported for mammary epithelial cells and likely serve as a negative feedback mechanism to preserve tissue homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Cell Biology Laboratory, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Scully
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D003094:Collagen