Project description:Articular and growth plate cartilage have comparable structures consisting of three distinct layers of chondrocytes, suggesting similar differentiation programs and therefore similar gene expression profiles. To address this hypothesis and to explore transcriptional changes that occur during the onset of articular and growth plate cartilage divergence, we used microdissection of 10-day-old rat proximal tibial epiphyses, microarray analysis, and bioinformatics to compare gene expression profiles in individual layers of articular and growth plate cartilage. We found that many genes that were spatially upregulated in intermediate/deep zone of articular cartilage were also spatially upregulated in resting zone of growth plate cartilage (overlap greater than expected by chance, P < 0.001). Interestingly, superficial zone of articular cartilage showed an expression profile with similarities to both proliferative and hypertrophic zones of growth plate cartilage (P < 0.001 each). Additionally, significant numbers of known proliferative zone markers (3 out of 6) and hypertrophic zone markers (27 out of 126) were spatially upregulated in superficial zone compared to intermediate/deep zone (more than expected by chance, P < 0.001 each). In conclusion, we provide evidence that intermediate/deep zone of articular cartilage has a gene expression profile more similar to resting zone of growth plate cartilage, whereas superficial zone has a gene expression profile more similar to proliferative and hypertrophic zones. 10-day-old rat proximal tibial epiphyses were manually microdissected into articular cartilage superficial (SZ) and intermediate/deep (IDZ) zones and growth plate cartilage resting zone (RZ) for total RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. We used 10-day-old animals because, at this age, the secondary ossification center has recently begun to form and divides the epiphysis into articular cartilage distally and growth plate cartilage more centrally. The 4 SZ samples were taken from animals 5-8, respectively, whereas the 4 IDZ and 4 RZ samples were each taken from animals 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8, respectively.
Project description:Articular and growth plate cartilage have comparable structures consisting of three distinct layers of chondrocytes, suggesting similar differentiation programs and therefore similar gene expression profiles. To address this hypothesis and to explore transcriptional changes that occur during the onset of articular and growth plate cartilage divergence, we used microdissection of 10-day-old rat proximal tibial epiphyses, microarray analysis, and bioinformatics to compare gene expression profiles in individual layers of articular and growth plate cartilage. We found that many genes that were spatially upregulated in intermediate/deep zone of articular cartilage were also spatially upregulated in resting zone of growth plate cartilage (overlap greater than expected by chance, P < 0.001). Interestingly, superficial zone of articular cartilage showed an expression profile with similarities to both proliferative and hypertrophic zones of growth plate cartilage (P < 0.001 each). Additionally, significant numbers of known proliferative zone markers (3 out of 6) and hypertrophic zone markers (27 out of 126) were spatially upregulated in superficial zone compared to intermediate/deep zone (more than expected by chance, P < 0.001 each). In conclusion, we provide evidence that intermediate/deep zone of articular cartilage has a gene expression profile more similar to resting zone of growth plate cartilage, whereas superficial zone has a gene expression profile more similar to proliferative and hypertrophic zones.
Project description:To study the role of Ezh2 in growth plate, we generated Ezh1 complete knockout, Ezh2 cartilage-specific knockout mice (Ezh1-/-, Col2-cre Ezh2 f/f) and compared it with Ezh2 wildtype littermates (Ezh1 -/-, Col2-cre Ezh2 +/+). Proliferative zone (PZ) and Hypertrophic zones (HZ) of proximal tibial growth plate were dissected from 3-day old mice by laser capture microdissection and RNA were isolated by pico pure RNA isolation kit
Project description:We used laser capture microdissection to isolate different zones of the articular cartilage from proximal tibiae of 1-week old mice, and used microarray to analyze global gene expression. Bioinformatic analysis corroborated previously known signaling pathways, such as Wnt and Bmp signaling, and implicated novel pathways, such as ephrin and integrin signaling, for spatially associated articular chondrocyte differentiation and proliferation. In addition, comparison of the spatial regulation of articular and growth plate cartilage revealed unexpected similarities between the superficial zone of the articular cartilage and the hypertrophic zone of the growth plate. Collecte five biological replications in three superficial, mid zone and deep zones of Articular Cartilage Assessed by Laser Captured Microdissection and Microarray(Superficial Zone vs Mid Zone vs Deep Zone)
Project description:We used laser capture microdissection to isolate different zones of the articular cartilage from proximal tibiae of 1-week old mice, and used microarray to analyze global gene expression. Bioinformatic analysis corroborated previously known signaling pathways, such as Wnt and Bmp signaling, and implicated novel pathways, such as ephrin and integrin signaling, for spatially associated articular chondrocyte differentiation and proliferation. In addition, comparison of the spatial regulation of articular and growth plate cartilage revealed unexpected similarities between the superficial zone of the articular cartilage and the hypertrophic zone of the growth plate.
Project description:To identify genes that maintain the homeostasis of the articular cartilage, we compared gene expression profiles of adult articular cartilage chondrocytes with that of growth plate cartilage chondrocytes in adult (10-week-old) Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Furthermore, to identify genes that have a potency to regenerate the articular cartilage, we compared gene expression profiles of superficial layer chondrocytes of infant epiphyseal cartilage which form articular cartilage with that of the deep layer chondrocytes which form growth plate cartilage in infant (6-day-old) SD rats.
Project description:The aim of the current study was to identify molecular markers for articular cartilage that can be used for the quality control of tissue engineered cartilage. Therefore a genom-wide expression analysis was performed using RNA isolated from articular and growth plate cartilage, both extracted from the knee joints of minipigs. Keywords: Native material or primary cells isolated from articular cartilage and growth plate cartilage Articular and growth plate cartilage were taken for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. Furthermore chondrocytes from each type of cartilage were isolated and cell culture was started and terminated at day 10 or day 20. Total RNA from cultivated cells was extracted, and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays was performed.
Project description:The aim of the current study was to identify molecular markers for articular cartilage that can be used for the quality control of tissue engineered cartilage. Therefore a genom-wide expression analysis was performed using RNA isolated from articular and growth plate cartilage, both extracted from the knee joints of minipigs. Keywords: Native material or primary cells isolated from articular cartilage and growth plate cartilage
Project description:Cells from the superficial (AACS), middle (AACM) and deep (AACD) adult articular cartilage zones and the intermediate (II) and outer (OI) interzone layers and the transient embryonic cartilage of the long bone anlagen (EC) at gestational day 40 were separately collected using laser capture microdissection and microarray analysis was performed to confirm appropriate layer selection.