title: BRITER: a BMP responsive osteoblast reporter cell line.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  BMP signaling pathway is critical for vertebrate development and tissue homeostasis. High-throughput molecular genetic screening may reveal novel players regulating BMP signaling response while chemical genetic screening of BMP signaling modifiers may have clinical significance. It is therefore important to generate a cell-based tool to execute such screens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have established a BMP responsive reporter cell line by stably integrating a BMP responsive dual luciferase reporter construct in the immortalized calvarial osteoblast cells isolated from tamoxifen inducible Bmp2; Bmp4 double conditional knockout mouse strain. This cell line, named BRITER (BMP Responsive Immortalized Reporter cell line), responds robustly, promptly and specifically to exogenously added BMP2 protein. The sensitivity to added BMP may be further increased by depleting the endogenous BMP2 and BMP4 proteins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As the dynamic range of the assay (for BMP responsiveness) is very high for BRITER and as it responds specifically and promptly to exogenously added BMP2 protein, BRITER may be used effectively for chemical or molecular genetic screening for BMP signaling modifiers. Identification of novel molecular players capable of influencing BMP signaling pathway may have clinical significance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India.
authors.forename: Prem Swaroop
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.forename: Paritosh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prashar
authors.forename: Amitabha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bandyopadhyay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002460:Cell Line; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins