Journal
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY
Volume 29, Issue 3, Pages 881-891Publisher
AMER SOC MICROBIOLOGY
DOI: 10.1128/MCB.00885-08
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Mildred Scheel Stiftung Deutsche Krebshilfe [10-2233]
- Stem Cell Network NRW
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The development and growth of the skull is controlled by cranial sutures, which serve as growth centers for osteogenesis by providing a pool of osteoprogenitors. These osteoprogenitors undergo intramembranous ossification by direct differentiation into osteoblasts, which synthesize the components of the extracellular bone matrix. A dysregulation of osteoblast differentiation can lead to premature fusion of sutures, resulting in an abnormal skull shape, a disease called craniosynostosis. Although several genes could be linked to craniosynostosis, the mechanisms regulating cranial suture development remain largely elusive. We have established transgenic mice conditionally expressing an autoactivated platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFR alpha) in neural crest cells (NCCs) and their derivatives. In these mice, premature fusion of NCC-derived sutures occurred at early postnatal stages. In vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated enhanced proliferation of osteoprogenitors and accelerated ossification of osteoblasts. Furthermore, in osteoblasts expressing the autoactivated receptor, we detected an upregulation of the phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma) pathway. Treatment of differentiating osteoblasts with a PLC-gamma specific inhibitor prevented the mineralization of synthesized bone matrix. Thus, we show for the first time that PDGFR alpha signaling stimulates osteogenesis of NCC-derived osteoblasts by activating the PLC-gamma pathway, suggesting an involvement of this pathway in the etiology of human craniosynostosis.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available