Superficial cells are self-renewing chondrocyte progenitors, which form the articular cartilage in juvenile mice.

ABSTRACT: Articular cartilage has little regenerative capacity. Recently, genetic lineage tracing experiments have revealed chondrocyte progenitors at the articular surface. We further characterized these progenitors by using in vivo genetic approaches. Histone H2B-green fluorescent protein retention revealed that superficial cells divide more slowly than underlying articular chondrocytes. Clonal genetic tracing combined with immunohistochemistry revealed that superficial cells renew their number by symmetric division, express mesenchymal stem cell markers, and generate chondrocytes via both asymmetric and symmetric differentiation. Quantitative analysis of cellular kinetics, in combination with phosphotungstic acid-enhanced micro-computed tomography, showed that superficial cells gene

SUBMITTER: Li L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5295727 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature