Project description:Synovial joint development begins with the formation of the interzone, a region of condensed mesenchymal cells at the site of the prospective joint. Recently, lineage tracing strategies have revealed that Gdf5-lineage cells native to and from outside the interzone contribute to most, if not all, of the major joint components. However, there is limited knowledge of the specific transcriptional and signaling programs that regulate interzone formation and fate diversification of synovial joint constituents. To address this, we have performed single cell RNA-Seq analysis of 7,329 synovial joint progenitor cells from the developing murine knee joint from E12.5 to E15.5. By using a combination of computational analytics, in situ hybridization, and in vitro characterization of prospectively isolated populations, we have identified the transcriptional profiles of the major developmental paths for joint progenitors. Our freely available single cell transcriptional atlas will serve as a resource for the community to uncover transcriptional programs and cell interactions that regulate synovial joint development.
Project description:Synovial joint development begins with the formation of the interzone, a region of condensed mesenchymal cells at the site of the prospective joint. Recently, lineage-tracing strategies have revealed that Gdf5-lineage cells native to and from outside the interzone contribute to most, if not all, of the major joint components. However, there is limited knowledge of the specific transcriptional and signaling programs that regulate interzone formation and fate diversification of synovial joint constituents. To address this, we have performed single cell RNA-Seq analysis of 7329 synovial joint progenitor cells from the developing murine knee joint from E12.5 to E15.5. By using a combination of computational analytics, in situ hybridization and in vitro characterization of prospectively isolated populations, we have identified the transcriptional profiles of the major developmental paths for joint progenitors. Our freely available single cell transcriptional atlas will serve as a resource for the community to uncover transcriptional programs and cell interactions that regulate synovial joint development.
Project description:Synovial fibroblasts contribute to the inflammatory temporomandibular joint under pathogenic stimuli. Synovial fibroblasts and T cells participate in the perpetuation of joint inflammation in a mutual activation feedback, via secretion of cytokines and chemokines that stimulate each other. IL-17 is an inflammatory cytokine produced primarily by Th17 cells that plays critical roles in the pathogenesis of numerous autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Here, we investigated the roles of IL-17A in temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) by using genome-wide analysis of synovial fibroblasts isolated from patients with TMD. We analyzed the gene expression profiles of synovial fibroblasts that were treated with or without IL-17A. IL-17 induced gene expression in synovial fibroblasts from human temporomandibular joint was measured at 4 hours after treated with IL-17A (10 ng/ml) and untreated control samples. This experiment used one donor sample.
Project description:Synovial fibroblasts contribute to the inflammatory temporomandibular joint under pathogenic stimuli. Synovial fibroblasts and T cells participate in the perpetuation of joint inflammation in a mutual activation feedback, via secretion of cytokines and chemokines that stimulate each other. IL-17 is an inflammatory cytokine produced primarily by Th17 cells that plays critical roles in the pathogenesis of numerous autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Here, we investigated the roles of IL-17A in temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) by using genome-wide analysis of synovial fibroblasts isolated from patients with TMD. We analyzed the gene expression profiles of synovial fibroblasts that were treated with or without IL-17A.
Project description:Small RNA isolated from synovial fluid of the metacarpophalangeal joints of horses. Horses either had minimal signs of osteoarthritis based on macroscopic and microscopic joint scoring or early (mild) osteoarthritis. Differential expression of small non-coding RNAs was undertaken.
Project description:Macrophages (MΦs) are considered to contribute to chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis 1. However, both the exact origin and role of MΦs during inflammatory joint disease remain unclear. Here, we used multiple fate-mapping approaches in conjunction with 3D-light-sheet fluorescence microscopy and single cell RNA sequencing to perform a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of the composition, origin and differentiation of MΦ subsets within the healthy and inflamed joint and subsequently studied their roles during arthritis. This approach revealed dynamic membrane-like structures consisting of a distinct population of CX3CR1+ tissue-resident MΦs that formed an internal immunological barrier at the synovial lining and physically secluded the joint. Barrier-forming MΦs displayed features otherwise typical of epithelial cells, and maintained their numbers through a pool of locally proliferating CX3CR1- mononuclear cells embedded into the synovial tissue. Unlike recruited monocyte-derived MΦs, which actively contributed to joint inflammation, such epithelial-like CX3CR1+ lining MΦs restricted the inflammatory reaction by providing a tight junction-mediated shield for intra-articular structures. Our data thus reveal an unexpected functional diversification among synovial MΦs and have important implications for the general role of MΦs in health and disease.
Project description:Macrophages (MΦs) are considered to contribute to chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis 1. However, both the exact origin and role of MΦs during inflammatory joint disease remain unclear. Here, we used multiple fate-mapping approaches in conjunction with 3D-light-sheet fluorescence microscopy and single cell RNA sequencing to perform a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of the composition, origin and differentiation of MΦ subsets within the healthy and inflamed joint and subsequently studied their roles during arthritis. This approach revealed dynamic membrane-like structures consisting of a distinct population of CX3CR1+ tissue-resident MΦs that formed an internal immunological barrier at the synovial lining and physically secluded the joint. Barrier-forming MΦs displayed features otherwise typical of epithelial cells, and maintained their numbers through a pool of locally proliferating CX3CR1- mononuclear cells embedded into the synovial tissue. Unlike recruited monocyte-derived MΦs, which actively contributed to joint inflammation, such epithelial-like CX3CR1+ lining MΦs restricted the inflammatory reaction by providing a tight junction-mediated shield for intra-articular structures. Our data thus reveal an unexpected functional diversification among synovial MΦs and have important implications for the general role of MΦs in health and disease
Project description:Mucopolysaccharidosis I is a lysosomal storage disorder characterized by deficient alpha-L-iduronidase activity, leading to abnormal accumulation of glycosaminoglycans in cells and tissues. Synovial joint disease is prevalent and significantly reduces patient quality of life. There is a critical need for improved understanding of joint disease pathophysiology in MPS I, including specific biomarkers to predict and monitor joint disease progression, and response to treatment. The objective of this study was to leverage the naturally-occurring MPS I canine model and undertake an unbiased proteomic screen to identify systemic biomarkers predictive of local joint disease in MPS I. Synovial fluid and serum samples were collected from MPS I and healthy dogs at 12 months-of-age, and protein abundance characterized using LC MS/MS. Stifle joints were evaluated postmortem using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histology. Proteomics identified 40 proteins for which abundance was significantly correlated between serum and synovial fluid, including markers of inflammatory joint disease and lysosomal dysfunction. Elevated expression of three biomarker candidates, matrix metalloproteinase 19, inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy-chain 3 and alpha-1-microglobulin, was confirmed in MPS I cartilage, and serum abundance of these molecules was found to correlate with MRI and histological degenerative grades. The candidate biomarkers identified in this study have the potential to improve patient care by facilitating minimally-invasive, specific assessment of joint disease severity, progression and response to therapeutic intervention.
Project description:We report the 3D chromatin organization of the 3.4Mb DACT2-SMOC2 locus generated for interphalangeal interzone and phalange, tissues collected during synovial joint formation. The interzone and phalange samples have been dissected from developing hindlimb digits of the chicken embryo at Hamilton Hamburger stage 32 (HH32). Collected material has been processed using the Targeted Chromatin Capture protocol optimized for the 1mln cell. Generation of the T2C-interaction maps has revealed the 3D chromatin architecture of the DACT2-SMOC2 locus in the interzone and phalange tissues as well as identified potential candidate enhancers located in spatial proximity of DACT2 and SMOC2 gene promoters. We report the ChIPseq derived Candidate Enhancer (CE) atlas generated for interphalangeal interzone and phalange, tissues collected during synovial joint formation. Three replicates for interzone and three replicated for phalange were immunoprecipitated (IP) with the H3K27ac antibodies. Also, two replicates for interzone and two replicates for phalange were immunoprecipitated with H3K4me1 antibodies. The IP samples for both histone marks were sequenced and used for annotation of CEs. Further, the CEs were functionally annotated. In parallel, the total RNA for three interzone and three phalange replicates was isolated and mRNA sequencing libraries were constructed. Next the identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and integrative analysis of DEGs and CEs was performed.
Project description:Objectives. Fibroblasts in synovium include fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) in the lining and Thy1+ connective-tissue fibroblasts in the sub-lining. We aimed to investigate their developmental origin and relationship with adult progenitors. Methods. To discriminate between Gdf5-lineage cells deriving from the embryonic joint interzone and other Pdgfrα-expressing fibroblasts and progenitors, adult Gdf5-Cre;Tom;Pdgfrα-H2BGFP mice were used and cartilage injury was induced to activate progenitors. Cells were isolated from knees, sorted by fluorescence-activated cell-sorting based on developmental origin, and analysed by single-cell RNA-sequencing. Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry were used for validation. Clonal-lineage mapping was performed using Gdf5-Cre;Confetti mice. Results. In steady state, Thy1+ sub-lining fibroblasts were of mixed ontogeny, while Thy1-Prg4+ lining fibroblasts predominantly derived from the embryonic joint interzone. The latter included Prg4-expressing progenitors distinct from molecularly defined FLS. Clonal-lineage tracing revealed compartmentalisation of Gdf5-lineage fibroblasts between lining and sub-lining. Following injury, lining hyperplasia resulted from proliferation and differentiation of Prg4-expressing progenitors, with additional recruitment of non-Gdf5-lineage cells, into FLS. Consistent with this, a second population of proliferating cells, enriched near blood vessels in the sub-lining, supplied activated multipotent cells predicted to give rise to Thy1+ fibroblasts, and to feed into the FLS differentiation trajectory. Transcriptional programmes regulating fibroblast differentiation trajectories were uncovered, identifying Sox5 and Foxo1 as key FLS transcription factors in mice and humans. Conclusions. Our data blueprint a cell atlas of mouse synovial fibroblasts and progenitors in healthy and injured knees, and provide novel insights into the cellular and molecular principles governing the organisation and maintenance of adult synovial joints.