Molecular and cellular characterization of mouse calvarial osteoblasts derived from neural crest and paraxial mesoderm.
BACKGROUND
Cranial skeletogenic mesenchyme is derived from two distinct embryonic sources: mesoderm and cranial neural crest. Previous studies have focused on molecular and cellular differences of juvenile and adult osteoblasts.


METHODS
To further understand the features of mouse-derived juvenile osteoblasts, the authors separated calvarial osteoblasts by their developmental origins: frontal bone-derived osteoblasts from cranial neural crest, and parietal bone-derived osteoblasts from paraxial mesoderm. Cells were harvested from a total of 120 mice.


RESULTS
Interestingly, the authors observed distinct morphologies and proliferation potential of the two populations of osteoblasts. Osteogenic genes such as alkaline phosphatase, osteopontin, collagen I, and Wnt5a, which was recently identified as playing a role in skeletogenesis, were abundantly expressed in parietal bone-derived osteoblasts versus frontal bone-derived osteoblasts. In addition, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor 2, and FGF-18 were more highly expressed in the parietal bone-derived osteoblasts, suggesting a more differentiated phenotype. In contrast, FGF-2, and adhesion molecules osteoblast cadherins and bone morphogenetic protein receptor IB, the bone tissue-specific type receptor were overexpressed in frontal bone-derived osteoblasts compared with parietal bone-derived osteoblasts.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors observed that although neural crest-derived osteoblasts represented a population of less differentiated, faster growing cells, they formed bone nodules more rapidly than parietal bone-derived osteoblasts. This in vitro study suggests that embryonic tissue derivations influence postnatal in vitro calvarial osteoblast cell biology.
Xu
Yue
Y
Stanford, Calif. From the Children's Surgical Research Program and Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine.
Malladi
Preeti
P
Zhou
Dimin
D
Longaker
Michael T
MT
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005624:Frontal Bone / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010294:Parietal Bone / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein
D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein; C438615:Wnt5a protein, mouse; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase