FGF signaling patterns cell fate at the interface between tendon and bone.

ABSTRACT: Tendon and bone are attached by a transitional connective tissue that is morphologically graded from tendinous to osseous and develops from bipotent progenitors that co-express scleraxis (Scx) and Sox9 (Scx+/Sox9+). Scx+/Sox9+ progenitors have the potential to differentiate into either tenocytes or chondrocytes, yet the developmental mechanism that spatially resolves their bipotency at the tendon-bone interface during embryogenesis remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that development of Scx+/Sox9+ progenitors within the mammalian lower jaw requires FGF signaling. We find that loss of Fgfr2 in the mouse tendon-bone interface reduces Scx expression in Scx+/Sox9+ progenitors and induces their biased differentiation into Sox9+ chondrocytes. This expansion of Sox9+ chondrocytes, which is conc

SUBMITTER: Roberts RR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6703712 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature