Project description:Very little is known about how intervertebral disc (IVD) is formed or maintained. Members of the TGF-ß superfamily are secreted signaling proteins that regulate many aspects of development including cellular differentiation. We recently showed that deletion of Tgfbr2 in Col2a expressing tissue results in alterations in development of IVD annulus fibrosus. The results suggested TGF-ß has an important role in regulating development of the axial skeleton, however, the mechanistic basis of TGF-ß action in these specialized joints is not known. One of the hurdles to understanding development of IVD is a lack of known markers. To identify genes that are enriched in the developing IVD and to begin to understand the mechanism of TGF-ß action in IVD development, we undertook a global analysis of gene expression comparing gene expression profiles in developing vertebrae and IVD. We also compared expression profiles in tissues from wild type and Tgfbr2 mutant mice. Lists of IVD and vertebrae enriched genes were generated. Expression patterns for several genes were verified either through in situ hybridization or literature/ database searches resulting in a list of genes that can be used as markers of IVD. Cluster analysis using genes listed under the Gene Ontology terms multicellular organism development and pattern specification indicated that mutant IVD more closely resembled vertebrae than wild type IVD. We propose TGF-ß has two functions in IVD development: 1) to prevent chondrocyte differentiation in the presumptive IVD and 2) to promote differentiation of annulus fibrosus from sclerotome. We have identified genes that are enriched in the IVD and regulated by TGF-ß that warrant further investigation as regulators of IVD development. Thirteen samples were analyzed. This includes three biological replicates of laser captured IVD from E13.5 day control mice, three biological replicates of laser captured vertebrae from the same E13.5 day control mice, three biological relicates of laser captured vertebrae from E13.5 day Col2aCre;Tgfbr2lox/lox mice, and four biological replicates of laser captured IVD from E13.5 day Col2aCre;Tgfbr2lox/lox mice.
Project description:Very little is known about how intervertebral disc (IVD) is formed or maintained. Members of the TGF-ß superfamily are secreted signaling proteins that regulate many aspects of development including cellular differentiation. We recently showed that deletion of Tgfbr2 in Col2a expressing tissue results in alterations in development of IVD annulus fibrosus. The results suggested TGF-ß has an important role in regulating development of the axial skeleton, however, the mechanistic basis of TGF-ß action in these specialized joints is not known. One of the hurdles to understanding development of IVD is a lack of known markers. To identify genes that are enriched in the developing IVD and to begin to understand the mechanism of TGF-ß action in IVD development, we undertook a global analysis of gene expression comparing gene expression profiles in developing vertebrae and IVD. We also compared expression profiles in tissues from wild type and Tgfbr2 mutant mice. Lists of IVD and vertebrae enriched genes were generated. Expression patterns for several genes were verified either through in situ hybridization or literature/ database searches resulting in a list of genes that can be used as markers of IVD. Cluster analysis using genes listed under the Gene Ontology terms multicellular organism development and pattern specification indicated that mutant IVD more closely resembled vertebrae than wild type IVD. We propose TGF-ß has two functions in IVD development: 1) to prevent chondrocyte differentiation in the presumptive IVD and 2) to promote differentiation of annulus fibrosus from sclerotome. We have identified genes that are enriched in the IVD and regulated by TGF-ß that warrant further investigation as regulators of IVD development.
Project description:Very little is known about how intervertebral disc (IVD) is formed or maintained. Members of the TGF-beta superfamily are secreted signaling proteins that regulate many aspects of development including cellular differentiation. We recently showed that deletion of Tgfbr2 in Col2a expressing tissue results in alterations in development of IVD annulus fibrosus. The results suggested TGF-beta has an important role in regulating development of the axial skeleton, however, the mechanistic basis of TGF-beta action in these specialized joints is not known. To understand the mechanism of TGF-beta action in IVD development, we undertook a global analysis of gene expression comparing gene expression profiles in sclerotome cultures treated with TGF-beta or BMP4. As expected, treatment with BMP4 resulted in up-regulation of cartilage marker genes including Acan, Sox 5, Sox6, and Sox9. In contrast, treatment with TGF-beta1 did not regulate expression of cartilage markers but instead resulted in up-regulation of many IVD markers including Fmod and Adamtsl2. We propose TGF-beta has two functions in IVD development: 1) to prevent chondrocyte differentiation in the presumptive IVD and 2) to promote differentiation of annulus fibrosus from sclerotome. We have identified genes that are enriched in the IVD and regulated by TGF-beta that warrant further investigation as regulators of IVD development. Nine samples were analyzed. Three biological replicates of untreated sclerotome grown in micromass culture. Three biological replicates of cells treated with 50 ng/ml BMP4 for 8 hours and three biological replicates of cells treated with 5 ng/ ml TGF-beta1 for 8 hours.
Project description:Very little is known about how intervertebral disc (IVD) is formed or maintained. Members of the TGF-ß superfamily are secreted signaling proteins that regulate many aspects of development including cellular differentiation. We recently showed that deletion of Tgfbr2 in Col2a expressing tissue results in alterations in development of IVD annulus fibrosus. The results suggested TGF-ß has an important role in regulating development of the axial skeleton, however, the mechanistic basis of TGF-ß action in these specialized joints is not known. To understand the mechanism of TGF-ß action in IVD development, we undertook a global analysis of gene expression comparing gene expression profiles in sclerotome cultures treated with TGF-ß or BMP4. As expected, treatment with BMP4 resulted in up-regulation of cartilage marker genes including Acan, Sox 5, Sox6, and Sox9. In contrast, treatment with TGF-ß1 did not regulate expression of cartilage markers but instead resulted in up-regulation of many IVD markers including Fmod and Adamtsl2. We propose TGF-ß has two functions in IVD development: 1) to prevent chondrocyte differentiation in the presumptive IVD and 2) to promote differentiation of annulus fibrosus from sclerotome. We have identified genes that are enriched in the IVD and regulated by TGF-ß that warrant further investigation as regulators of IVD development.
Project description:Pax1 and Pax9 play redundant, synergistic functions in the patterning and differentiation of the sclerotomal cells that give rise to the vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs (IVD) of the axial skeleton. Gene expression profiling of an enriched population of Pax1/Pax9-expressing cells of the embryonic IVD revealed that Pax1 and Pax9 regulate cell proliferation, cartilage development, collagen fibrillogenesis and other processes vital in early IVD morphogenesis. Twenty-nine of the Pax1/Pax9 targets are also associated with axial skeletal defects that phenocopy Pax1/Pax9-deficient mice. Pax1 likely auto-regulates itself and is up-regulated in the absence of Pax9, clarifying how it compensates for the loss of Pax9, while Pax9 is unaffected by the loss of Pax1. Pax1 and Pax9 positively regulate several of the cartilage development genes known to be regulated by the “Sox trio” (Sox5/Sox6/Sox9).
Project description:Herniation of the intervertebral disc (IVDH) is the most common cause of neurological and intervertebral disc degeneration-related diseases. Since the disc starts to degenerate before it can be observed by currently available diagnostic methods, there is an urgent need for novel diagnostic approaches. To identify molecular networks and pathways which may play important roles in intervertebral disc herniation, as well as to reveal the potential features which could be useful for monitoring disease progression and prognosis, multi-omics profiling including high-resolution LC-MS-based metabolomics and proteomics was performed. Furthermore, multi-omics data were integrated to decipher a complex interaction between individual omic layers leading to improved prediction model. Together with metabolic pathways related to amino acids and lipid metabolism, and coagulation cascades, our integromics prediction model identified the key features in IVDH, namely the proteins FSTL1, SCG5, NUCB1 and CRSP2 and the metabolites N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and adenine, involved in neuropathic pain, myelination, neurotransmission and inflammatory response, respectively. Their clinical application is to be further investigated. The utilization of novel integrative interdisciplinary strategy may provide opportunities to apply the innovative diagnostic and monitoring methods for degenerative spinal disorders.
Project description:IDD (Intervertebral disc degeneration) is an important cause of low back pain which has become a global public health problem. We aimed to determine the role of glutamine in the development of IDD and evaluate its mechanism to prevent IDD.
Project description:SM/J mice experience spontaneous age-associated intervertebral disc herniations, with molecular analyses indicating a dysregulated immune system may contribute to this disc pathology. To investigate this, we analyzed the circulating immune cells of these mice during aging, in relation to BL/6 mice, which do not experience disc herniation.
Project description:Assessment of the putative differential gene expression profiles in high osmolality-treated bovine nucleus pulposus intervertebral disc cells for a short (5 h) and a long (24 h) time period. Identification of novel genes up- or down-regulated as an early or a late response to hyperosmotic stress. A 5 and 24 h-hyperosmotic treatment of nucleus pulposus cells led to transcriptional changes in >100 and 200 genes, respectively. Nucleus pulposus intervertebral disc cells were exposed to hyperosmotic stress for 5 and 24 h before RNA extraction and transcriptomics analysis. Three biological replicates were tested for each condition. Selected genes found to be differentially expressed were validated by RT-qPCR. Functional experiments were performed in order to assess the role of specific proteins encoded by genes found to be up-regulated in the osmo-reguatory response of intervertebral disc cells.
Project description:Nucleus pulposus (NP) plays a vital role in intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Previous studies have revealed cellular heterogeneity in the NP tissue during IVDD progression. Here, we used single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to analyze the cellular and molecular alterations of diverse cell clusters during IVDD.