Loss of myostatin (GDF8) function increases osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells but the osteogenic effect is ablated with unloading.

ABSTRACT: Myostatin (GDF8) is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth and mice lacking myostatin show a significant increase in muscle mass and bone density compared to normal mice. In order to further define the role of myostatin in regulating bone mass we sought to determine if loss of myostatin function significantly altered the potential for osteogenic differentiation in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and in vivo. We first examined expression of the myostatin receptor, the type IIB activin receptor (AcvrIIB), in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) isolated from mouse long bones. This receptor was found to be expressed at high levels in BMSCs, and we were also able to detect AcvrIIB protein in BMSCs in situ using immunofluorescence. BMSCs isolated from m

SUBMITTER: Hamrick MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2001954 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature