Cell-cell interaction mediated by cadherin-11 directly regulates the differentiation of mesenchymal cells into the cells of the osteo-lineage and the chondro-lineage.
We studied cadherin-11 function in the differentiation of mesenchymal cells. Teratomas harboring the cadherin-11 gene generated bone and cartilage preferentially. Cadherin-11 transfectants of C2C12 cells and cadherin-11 and/or N-cadherin transfectants of L cells showed that cadherin-11 together with N-cadherin-induced expression of ALP and FGF receptor 2. These results suggest that cadherin-11 directly regulates the differentiation of mesenchymal cells into the cells of the osteo-lineage and the chondro-lineage in a different manner from N-cadherin.


BACKGROUND
Cell-cell interaction is an essential event for tissue formation; however, the role of cell-cell adhesion in mesenchymal tissue formation as well as in cell differentiation in this tissue remains unclear. cadherins, which are calcium-dependent cell adhesion receptors, form adherence junctions after adherence and aggregation of cells. Because cadherin-11 as well as N-cadherin has been reported to be a mesenchyme-related cadherin, we examined the cadherin-11 action in teratomas and in the cell lines C2C12 and L cell. Herein, we show that cell-cell interaction mediated by cadherin-11 is responsible for bone and cartilage formation.


METHODS
It has been previously reported that N-cadherin-expressing E-cadherin-/- ES transfectants formed neuroepithelium and cartilage in teratomas. Thus, we transfected the E-cadherin-/- ES cell line with the cadherin-11 gene. Moreover, we also transfected C2C12 cells and L cells with the cadherin-11 gene for morphological analysis and study of the induced differentiation at the molecular level.


CONCLUSIONS
Teratomas derived from embryonic stem cells in which the cadherin-11 gene had been expressed exogenously contained bone and cartilage preferentially, showing that cadherin-11 is involved in mesenchymal tissue formation, specifically in controlling the differentiation of these cells into osteoblasts and chondrocytes. Therefore, we further examined the functional difference between cadherin-11 and N-cadherin. The expression patterns of cadherin-11 and N-cadherin in cells of the mouse osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 showed that each cadherin was located independently of the cell-cell adhesion site and acted individually. In hanging drop cultures, cadherin-11 L cell transfectants aggregated in a sheet-like structure, whereas N-cadherin transfectants aggregated in a spherical form, indicating that each cadherin confers a different 3D architecture because of its individual adhesive property. To investigate the molecular mechanism of cadherin-11 action in cell differentiation, we analyzed cadherin-11 transfectants of C2C12 cells and cadherin-11 and/or N-cadherin transfectants of L cells and showed that cadherin-11, together with N-cadherin, induced expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 2. These results suggest that cadherin-11 directly regulates the differentiation of mesenchymal cells into the cells of the osteo-lineage and the chondro-lineage in a different manner from N-cadherin.
Department of Life Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan.
Isao
I
Kii
Norio
N
Amizuka
Junko
J
Shimomura
Yumiko
Y
Saga
Akira
A
Kudo
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D010011:Osteocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051497:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection; D051176:beta Catenin
C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; C086960:osteoblast cadherin; C496354:Fgfr2 protein, mouse; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051497:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase