title: In vivo determination of vitamin d function using transgenic mice carrying a human osteocalcin luciferase reporter gene.
abstract: Vitamin D is an essential factor for ossification, and its deficiency causes rickets. Osteocalcin, which is a noncollagenous protein found in bone matrix and involved in mineralization and calcium ion homeostasis, is one of the major bone morphogenetic markers and is used in the evaluation of osteoblast maturation and osteogenic activation. We established transgenic mouse line expressing luciferase under the control of a 10-kb osteocalcin enhancer/promoter sequence. Using these transgenic mice, we evaluated the active forms of vitamins D2 and D3 for their bone morphogenetic function by in vivo bioluminescence. As the result, strong activity for ossification was observed with 1 α ,25-hydroxyvitamin D3. Our mouse system can offer a feasible detection method for assessment of osteogenic activity in the development of functional foods and medicines by noninvasive screening.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Nishicho 86, Tottori 683-8503, Japan. tomo@med.tottori-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: Rumiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Haruka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: Atsumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soma
authors.forename: Mayu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasunaga
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamane
authors.forename: Kenzo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000378:metabolism; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D008156:Luciferases; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010012:Osteogenesis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015675:Osteocalcin; D014807:Vitamin D; D008156:Luciferases; D002112:Calcifediol