Project description:Orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) is primarily driven by alveolar bone remodeling, wherein tension-induced osteogenesis plays a central role. Importin7 (IPO7) has been identified as a highly mechanoresponsive nuclear transport receptor (NTR). However, its role in regulating tension-induced osteogenesis during OTM and its underlying mechanism remains elusive. In the present study, cyclic tensile strain and a rat OTM model were used to investigate the role of IPO7. The results revealed that IPO7 was significantly expressed both in vitro and in vivo following exposure to mechanical stretch. Moreover, IPO7 knockdown inhibited tension-induced osteogenesis in BMSCs. Upon mechanical force stimulation, IPO7 translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation (IP) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) was performed and demonstrated that RUNX2 was one of the IPO7-interacting proteins related to osteogenesis. Although RUNX2 has been established to translocate to the nucleus to facilitate osteogenesis, whether it is IPO7 that regulate RUNX2 nuclear input during tension-induced osteogenesis remains to be determined. Then, the interaction between IPO7 and RUNX2 was further validated via co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) and colocalization assays in BMSCs using immunofluorescence. Taken together, this study demonstrates that IPO7 promotes tension-induced osteogenesis by regulating the nucleoplasmic localization of RUNX2. Thus, targeting IPO7 may represent a prospective therapeutic strategy for enhancing alveolar bone remodeling and the efficacy of orthodontic treatment.
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/).
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/).
Project description:Osteoradionecrosis of the jaw (ORNJ) is a complication after head and neck radiotherapy that severely affects patients’ quality of life. Currently, an overall understanding of microenvironmental factors of ORNJ is still lacking. Here, we reveal the activation of taurine metabolism in irradiated mandibular stromal cells with scRNA-Seq and the decrease of taurine in irradiated bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) with metabolomics. Compared to the unirradiated BMSCs, the taurine uptake of irradiated BMSCs increases. The taurine concentration in peripheral blood and jaws of irradiated mice are significantly lower than the unirradiated mice. Supplementation of taurine promotes osteogenic differentiation, decreases oxidative stress and DNA damage of irradiated BMSCs. Oral administration of taurine significantly promotes survival rate of irradiated mice and promotes osteogenesis of irradiated jaws. Our study sheds light on the role of taurine during the recovery of radiation-induced jaw injury, suggesting a potential non-invasive therapeutic means to combat ORNJ.
Project description:In this study, we have investigated the molecular basis of Shh signalling during development of the secondary palate and how CNCC patterning and fate is influenced by the Shh signalling network. Using a gain-of-function mouse model to activate Smoothened (R26SmoM2) signalling in the palatal mesenchyme (Osr2-IresCre), we demonstrate ectopic Hh-Smo signalling results in fully penetrant cleft palate, disrupted oral-nasal patterning and defective palatine bone formation. We show that a series of Fox transcription factors, including the novel direct target Foxl1, function downstream of Hh signalling in the secondary palate. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Wnt/BMP antagonists, in particular Sostdc1, are positively regulated by Hh signalling, concomitant with down-regulation of key regulators of osteogenesis and BMP signalling effectors. Microarray analysis was performed on excised palatal shelves from Osr2-IresCre+/- (wild-type) and Osr2-IresCre;Smo+/M2 (mutant) embryos at embryonic day (E)13.5. Osr2-IresCre (PMID:17941042) and R26SmoM2 (PMID:15107405) mice have been described previously.
Project description:Neural crest cells (NCCs) are multipotent stem cells with a remarkable ability to differentiate into multiple cell lineages, including osteoblasts and chondrocytes. NCCs contribute to the majority of craniofacial skeleton, yet the molecular mechanisms regulating NCCs diversification into osteoblasts or chondrocytes remain poorly understood. We found that Yap and Taz function redundantly as key determinants of the osteogenesis versus chondrogenesis fate decision and differentiation in NCCs in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo, and Yap/Taz-deficiency in NCCs resulted in a switch from osteogenesis to chondrogenesis. Comprehensive analysis of unbiased datasets including CUT&RUN-seq and RNA-seq indicated that Yap/Taz directly regulate key genes that govern osteogenesis and chondrogenesis. During NCC-derived osteogenesis, Yap/Taz promote expression of osteogenic genes such as Runx2 and Sp7 but repress expression of chondrogenic genes such as Sox9 and Col2a1. Further, we found Yap/Taz directly interact with β-catenin in NCCs to coordinately promote osteoblast differentiation and repress chondrogenesis. Together our data indicate that Yap/Taz promote osteogenesis in NCCs by preventing chondrogenesis, partly through interactions with the Wnt-β-catenin pathway.