Articular cartilage endurance and resistance to osteoarthritic changes require transcription factor Erg.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine whether and how the transcription factor Erg participates in the genesis, establishment, and maintenance of articular cartilage.

Methods

Floxed Erg mice were mated with Gdf5-Cre mice to generate conditional mutants lacking Erg in their joints. Joints of mutant and control mice were subjected to morphologic and molecular characterization and also to experimental surgically induced osteoarthritis (OA). Gene expression, promoter reporter assays, and gain- and loss-of-function in vitro tests were used to characterize molecular mechanisms of Erg action.

Results

Conditional Erg ablation did not elicit obvious changes in limb joint development and overall phenotype in juvenile mice. However, as mice aged, joints of mutant mice degenerated spontaneously

SUBMITTER: Ohta Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5568074 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature