Procollagen C proteinase enhancer 1 genes are important determinants of the mechanical properties and geometry of bone and the ultrastructure of connective tissues.
Procollagen C proteinases (pCPs) cleave type I to III procollagen C propeptides as a necessary step in assembling the major fibrous components of vertebrate extracellular matrix. The protein PCOLCE1 (procollagen C proteinase enhancer 1) is not a proteinase but can enhance the activity of pCPs approximately 10-fold in vitro and has reported roles in inhibiting other proteinases and in growth control. Here we have generated mice with null alleles of the PCOLCE1 gene, Pcolce, to ascertain in vivo roles. Although Pcolce-/- mice are viable and fertile, Pcolce-/- male, but not female, long bones are more massive and have altered geometries that increase resistance to loading, compared to wild type. Mechanical testing indicated inferior material properties of Pcolce-/- male long bone, apparently compensated for by the adaptive changes in bone geometry. Male and female Pcolce-/- vertebrae both appeared to compensate for inferior material properties with thickened and more numerous trabeculae and had a uniquely altered morphology in deposited mineral. Ultrastructurally, Pcolce-/- mice had profoundly abnormal collagen fibrils in both mineralized and nonmineralized tissues. In Pcolce-/- tendon, 100% of collagen fibrils had deranged morphologies, indicating marked functional effects in this tissue. Thus, PCOLCE1 is an important determinant of bone mechanical properties and geometry and of collagen fibril morphology in mammals, and the human PCOLCE1 gene is identified as a candidate for phenotypes with defects in such attributes in humans.
Steiglitz
Barry M
BM
Department of Pathology, University of Wisconsin, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Kreider
Jaclynn M
JM
Frankenburg
Elizabeth P
EP
Pappano
William N
WN
Hoffman
Guy G
GG
Meganck
Jeffrey A
JA
Liang
Xiaowen
X
Höök
Magnus
M
Birk
David E
DE
Goldstein
Steven A
SA
Greenspan
Daniel S
DS
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D024062:Collagen Type V / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D005260:Female; D018390:Gene Targeting; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009154:Mutation; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D011347:Procollagen / Q000378:metabolism*
D015415:Biomarkers; D024062:Collagen Type V; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; C108243:Pcolce protein, mouse; D010455:Peptides; D011347:Procollagen