ABSTRACT: The RUNX2 Cistrome in Osteoblasts: Characterization, Downregulation Following Differentiation and Relationship to Gene Expression [gene expression]
Project description:The RUNX2 Cistrome in Osteoblasts: Characterization, Downregulation Following Differentiation and Relationship to Gene Expression [ChIP-Seq]
Project description:RUNX2 is a transcription factor that is first expressed in early osteoblast-lineage cells and represents a primary determinant of osteoblastogenesis. While numerous target genes are regulated by RUNX2, little is known of sites on the genome occupied by RUNX2 or of the gene networks that are controlled by these sites. To explore this, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of the RUNX2 cistrome in both pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells (POB) and their mature osteoblast progeny (OB), characterized the two cistromes and assessed their relationship to changes in gene expression. We found that although RUNX2 was widely bound to the genome in POB cells, this binding profile was reduced upon differentiation to OBs. Numerous sites were lost upon differentiation, new sites were also gained; many sites remained common to both cell states. Additional features were identified as well including location relative to potential target genes, abundance with respect to single genes, the frequent presence of a consensus TGTGGT RUNX2 binding motif, co-occupancy by C/EBPβ and the presence of a typical epigenetic histone enhancer signature. This signature was changed quantitatively following differentiation. While RUNX2 binding sites were associated extensively with adjacent genes, the distal nature of the majority of these sites prevented assessment of whether they represented direct targets of RUNX2 action. Changes in gene expression, however, revealed an abundance of genes that contained RUNX2 binding sites and were regulated in concert. These studies establish a basis for further analysis of the role of RUNX2 activity and its function during osteoblast lineage maturation. RNA was isolated and applied to gene expression microarrays in undifferentiated MC3T3-E1 cells as well as post 15 day osteogenic differentiation MC3T3-E1 cells. The samples were completed in biological triplicate.
Project description:RUNX2 is a transcription factor that is first expressed in early osteoblast-lineage cells and represents a primary determinant of osteoblastogenesis. While numerous target genes are regulated by RUNX2, little is known of sites on the genome occupied by RUNX2 or of the gene networks that are controlled by these sites. To explore this, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of the RUNX2 cistrome in both pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells (POB) and their mature osteoblast progeny (OB), characterized the two cistromes and assessed their relationship to changes in gene expression. We found that although RUNX2 was widely bound to the genome in POB cells, this binding profile was reduced upon differentiation to OBs. Numerous sites were lost upon differentiation, new sites were also gained; many sites remained common to both cell states. Additional features were identified as well including location relative to potential target genes, abundance with respect to single genes, the frequent presence of a consensus TGTGGT RUNX2 binding motif, co-occupancy by C/EBPβ and the presence of a typical epigenetic histone enhancer signature. This signature was changed quantitatively following differentiation. While RUNX2 binding sites were associated extensively with adjacent genes, the distal nature of the majority of these sites prevented assessment of whether they represented direct targets of RUNX2 action. Changes in gene expression, however, revealed an abundance of genes that contained RUNX2 binding sites and were regulated in concert. These studies establish a basis for further analysis of the role of RUNX2 activity and its function during osteoblast lineage maturation. 2 transcription factors and 5 histone modifications were examined in undifferentiated MC3T3-E1 cells as well as post 15 day osteogenic differentiation MC3T3-E1 cells. The samples were completed in biological replicate and examined separately.
Project description:RUNX2 is a transcription factor that is first expressed in early osteoblast-lineage cells and represents a primary determinant of osteoblastogenesis. While numerous target genes are regulated by RUNX2, little is known of sites on the genome occupied by RUNX2 or of the gene networks that are controlled by these sites. To explore this, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of the RUNX2 cistrome in both pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells (POB) and their mature osteoblast progeny (OB), characterized the two cistromes and assessed their relationship to changes in gene expression. We found that although RUNX2 was widely bound to the genome in POB cells, this binding profile was reduced upon differentiation to OBs. Numerous sites were lost upon differentiation, new sites were also gained; many sites remained common to both cell states. Additional features were identified as well including location relative to potential target genes, abundance with respect to single genes, the frequent presence of a consensus TGTGGT RUNX2 binding motif, co-occupancy by C/EBPβ and the presence of a typical epigenetic histone enhancer signature. This signature was changed quantitatively following differentiation. While RUNX2 binding sites were associated extensively with adjacent genes, the distal nature of the majority of these sites prevented assessment of whether they represented direct targets of RUNX2 action. Changes in gene expression, however, revealed an abundance of genes that contained RUNX2 binding sites and were regulated in concert. These studies establish a basis for further analysis of the role of RUNX2 activity and its function during osteoblast lineage maturation.
Project description:RUNX2 is a transcription factor that is first expressed in early osteoblast-lineage cells and represents a primary determinant of osteoblastogenesis. While numerous target genes are regulated by RUNX2, little is known of sites on the genome occupied by RUNX2 or of the gene networks that are controlled by these sites. To explore this, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of the RUNX2 cistrome in both pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells (POB) and their mature osteoblast progeny (OB), characterized the two cistromes and assessed their relationship to changes in gene expression. We found that although RUNX2 was widely bound to the genome in POB cells, this binding profile was reduced upon differentiation to OBs. Numerous sites were lost upon differentiation, new sites were also gained; many sites remained common to both cell states. Additional features were identified as well including location relative to potential target genes, abundance with respect to single genes, the frequent presence of a consensus TGTGGT RUNX2 binding motif, co-occupancy by C/EBPβ and the presence of a typical epigenetic histone enhancer signature. This signature was changed quantitatively following differentiation. While RUNX2 binding sites were associated extensively with adjacent genes, the distal nature of the majority of these sites prevented assessment of whether they represented direct targets of RUNX2 action. Changes in gene expression, however, revealed an abundance of genes that contained RUNX2 binding sites and were regulated in concert. These studies establish a basis for further analysis of the role of RUNX2 activity and its function during osteoblast lineage maturation.
Project description:Vascular disruption following bony injury results in a hypoxic gradient within the wound microenvironment. Nevertheless, the effects of low oxygen tension on osteogenic precursors remain to be fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated in vitro osteoblast and mesenchymal stem cell differentiation following exposure to 21% O(2) (ambient oxygen), 2% O(2) (hypoxia), and <0.02% O(2) (anoxia). Hypoxia had little effect on osteogenic differentiation. In contrast, short-term anoxic treatment of primary osteoblasts and mesenchymal precursors inhibited in vitro bone nodule formation and extracellular calcium deposition. Cell viability assays revealed that this effect was not caused by immediate or delayed cell death. Microarray profiling implicated down-regulation of the key osteogenic transcription factor Runx2 as a potential mechanism for the anoxic inhibition of differentiation. Subsequent analysis revealed not only a short-term differential regulation of Runx2 and its targets by anoxia and hypoxia, but a long-term inhibition of Runx2 transcriptional and protein levels after only 12-24 h of anoxic insult. Furthermore, we present evidence that Runx2 inhibition may, at least in part, be because of anoxic repression of BMP2, and that restoring Runx2 levels during anoxia by pretreatment with recombinant BMP2 rescued the anoxic inhibition of differentiation. Taken together, our findings indicate that brief exposure to anoxia (but not 2% hypoxia) down-regulated BMP2 and Runx2 expression, thus inhibiting critical steps in the osteogenic differentiation of pluripotent mesenchymal precursors and committed osteoblasts.
Project description:Osteoblasts arise from bone-surrounding connective tissue containing tenocytes and fibroblasts. Lineages of these cell populations and mechanisms of their differentiation are not well understood. Screening enhancer-trap lines of zebrafish allowed us to identify Ebf3 as a transcription factor marking tenocytes and connective tissue cells in skeletal muscle of embryos. Knockout of Ebf3 in mice had no effect on chondrogenesis but led to sternum ossification defects as a result of defective generation of Runx2+ pre-osteoblasts. Conditional and temporal Ebf3 knockout mice revealed requirements of Ebf3 in the lateral plate mesenchyme cells (LPMs), especially in tendon/muscle connective tissue cells, and a stage-specific Ebf3 requirement at embryonic day 9.5-10.5. Upregulated expression of connective tissue markers, such as Egr1/2 and Osr1, increased number of Islet1+ mesenchyme cells, and downregulation of gene expression of the Runx2 regulator Shox2 in Ebf3-deleted thoracic LPMs suggest crucial roles of Ebf3 in the onset of lateral plate mesoderm differentiation towards osteoblasts forming sternum tissues.
Project description:Vascular disruption following bony injury results in a hypoxic gradient within the wound microenvironment. Nevertheless, the effects of low oxygen tension on osteogenic precursors remain to be fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated in vitro osteoblast and mesenchymal stem cell differentiation following exposure to 21% O(2) (ambient oxygen), 2% O(2) (hypoxia), and <0.02% O(2) (anoxia). Hypoxia had little effect on osteogenic differentiation. In contrast, short-term anoxic treatment of primary osteoblasts and mesenchymal precursors inhibited in vitro bone nodule formation and extracellular calcium deposition. Cell viability assays revealed that this effect was not caused by immediate or delayed cell death. Microarray profiling implicated down-regulation of the key osteogenic transcription factor Runx2 as a potential mechanism for the anoxic inhibition of differentiation. Subsequent analysis revealed not only a short-term differential regulation of Runx2 and its targets by anoxia and hypoxia, but a long-term inhibition of Runx2 transcriptional and protein levels after only 12-24 h of anoxic insult. Furthermore, we present evidence that Runx2 inhibition may, at least in part, be because of anoxic repression of BMP2, and that restoring Runx2 levels during anoxia by pretreatment with recombinant BMP2 rescued the anoxic inhibition of differentiation. Taken together, our findings indicate that brief exposure to anoxia (but not 2% hypoxia) down-regulated BMP2 and Runx2 expression, thus inhibiting critical steps in the osteogenic differentiation of pluripotent mesenchymal precursors and committed osteoblasts. An all pairs experiment design type is where all labeled extracts are compared to every other labeled extract. Computed
Project description:Bone development and repair depends on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into osteoblasts. MSCs can be differentiated towards osteoblasts in vitro, making these cells a convenient tool for investigation of osteogenesis. Molecular characterization of this process is relevant for the application of MSCs in skeletal regenerative medicine, and for understanding the deregulation of osteogenesis in bone disease. Cellular differentiation is driven by highly regulated changes in gene expression, which at the level of transcription is associated with DNA binding of transcriptional regulators and local changes in chromatin landscape. By sequencing of RNA (RNA-Seq) and immunoprecipitated chromatin (ChIP-Seq) we have characterized gene expression, histone modification changes and DNA binding of the bone master regulator RUNX2 in osteogenic differentiation. Data from the RNA-Seq experiment has also been deposited at ArrayExpress under accession number E-MTAB-1829 (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/arrayexpress/experiments/E-MTAB-1829/).