Runx2 and Runx3 are essential for chondrocyte maturation, and Runx2 regulates limb growth through induction of Indian hedgehog

The differentiation of mesenchymal cells into chondrocytes and chondrocyte proliferation and maturation are fundamental steps in skeletal development. Runx2 is essential for osteoblast differentiation and is involved in chondrocyte maturation. Although chondrocyte maturation is delayed in Runx2-deficient (Runx2(-/-)) mice, terminal differentiation of chondrocytes does occur, indicating that additional factors are involved in chondrocyte maturation. We investigated the involvement of Runx3 in chondrocyte differentiation by generating Runx2-and-Runx3-deficient (Runx2(-/-)3(-/-)) mice. We found that chondrocyte differentiation was inhibited depending on the dosages of Runx2 and Runx3, and Runx2(-/-)3(-/-) mice showed a complete absence of chondrocyte maturation. Further, the length of the limbs was reduced depending on the dosages of Runx2 and Runx3, due to reduced and disorganized chondrocyte proliferation and reduced cell size in the diaphyses. Runx2(-/-)3(-/-) mice did not express Ihh, which regulates chondrocyte proliferation and maturation. Adenoviral introduction of Runx2 in Runx2(-/-) chondrocyte cultures strongly induced Ihh expression. Moreover, Runx2 directly bound to the promoter region of the Ihh gene and strongly induced expression of the reporter gene driven by the Ihh promoter. These findings demonstrate that Runx2 and Runx3 are essential for chondrocyte maturation and that Runx2 regulates limb growth by organizing chondrocyte maturation and proliferation through the induction of Ihh expression.     

肿瘤抑制因子RUNX3对人胃癌细胞中凋亡相关基因表达的影响

 目的：研究肿瘤抑制因子人类Runt相关转录因子3(RUNX3)对人胃癌细胞BGC823中凋亡相关基因B细胞淋巴瘤/白血病基因-2（bcl-2）、bax、半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶-3（caspase-3）、半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶-8（caspase-8）、半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶-9（caspase-9）表达的影响,以揭示RUNX3促进胃癌细胞凋亡的作用机制。方法：首先构建人Runx3的真核生物表达载体pcDNA3.1- Runx3,将pcDNA3.1-Runx3及空载体pcDNA3.1分别转染BGC823细胞48 h后,提取细胞的总RNA和蛋白质,应用逆转录-聚合酶链反应 (RT-PCR)和蛋白免疫印迹（Western blotting）分别检测转染不同载体的细胞内RUNX3的表达情况,然后用RT-PCR和Western blotting检测凋亡相关基因bcl-2、bax、caspase-3、caspase-8和caspase-9的表达及蛋白的表达,β-actin作为内对照。结果：我们成功构建了人Runx3的真核生物表达载体pcDNA3.1-Runx3,将其转染BGC823细胞后,RT-PCR和Western blotting结果均显示：转染pcDNA3.1-Runx3的细胞中RUNX3的表达水平明显高于转染空载体pcDNA3.1的细胞(P<0.05);转染pcDNA3.1-Runx3的细胞中bcl-2基因的表达水平明显降低,caspase-3、caspase-9基因的表达水平明显增加(P<0.05)。结论：在BGC823细胞中,RUNX3通过下调bcl-2,上调caspase-3、caspase-9的表达促进细胞的凋亡。     

Distinct roles of type I bone morphogenetic protein receptors in the formation and differentiation of cartilage

The bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), TGFβ superfamily members, play diverse roles in embryogenesis, but how the BMPs exert their action is unclear and how different BMP receptors (BMPRs) contribute to this process is not known. Here we demonstrate that the two type I BMPRs, BMPR-IA and BMPR-IB, regulate distinct processes during chick limb development. BmpR-IB expression in the embryonic limb prefigures the future cartilage primordium, and its activity is necessary for the initial steps of chondrogenesis. During later chondrogenesis, BmpR-IA is specifically expressed in prehypertrophic chondrocytes. BMPR-IA regulates chondrocyte differentiation, serving as a downstream mediator of Indian Hedgehog (IHH) function in both a local signaling loop and a longer-range relay system to PTHrP. BMPR-IB also regulates apoptosis: Expression of activated BMPR-IB results in increased cell death, and we showed previously that dominant-negative BMPR-IB inhibits apoptosis. Our studies indicate that in TGFβ signaling systems, different type I receptor isoforms are dedicated to specific functions during embryogenesis.