ECTS2013 Poster Presentations Cell biology: osteoblasts and bone formation (50 abstracts)
1INSERM 1059, Laboratoire de Biologie du Tissu Osseux, IFR143-IFRESIS, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France; 2Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne, Center for Health Engineering, IFR143-IFRESIS, Saint-Etienne, France; 3Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Bone sialoprotein regulates osteoblast activity and bone formation. In knockout (BSP−/−) mouse bone marrow (BM) stromal cell cultures, the pool of osteoprogenitor (OP) cells (CFU-F number) is not different from wild-type (+/+), nor is their early differentiation (same numbers of alkaline phosphatase positive colonies=CFU-ALP, although these are smaller), while the number of osteoblast, mineralized colonies (CFU-OB) is dramatically reduced. Because ossification of newborn BSP−/− mouse calvaria is delayed, we analysed the impact of the mutation on in vitro osteogenesis in cultures of mouse calvaria cells (MCC), isolated from 6 days old mice by collagenase digestion. In contrast to BM, CFU-F, CFU-ALP, and CFU-OB numbers were lower in BSP−/− MCC cultures. Consistent with less OP, BSP−/− cultures displayed lower proliferation and delayed growth. In MCC cultures seeded at 5000 cells/cm2 osteoblast marker expression did not differ between genotypes until D6. By D14 (=first CFU-OBs) ALP, Coll1, OSX, Runx2 as well as terminal differentiation markers, OCN, PHEX, DMP1, and MEPE increased strongly in BSP+/+ cultures but was low/absent in BSP−/−, with no mineralization. In contrast, osteopontin (OPN) was over-expressed in BSP−/− dishes. At high density (≧25000cell/ cm2), marker levels were similar for both genotypes, and BSP−/− cultures mineralized. OPN is a potent inhibitor of mineralization, and was reported to be a substrate for PHEX. Very low PHEX expression in low density BSP−/− cultures suggests that OPN is less degraded and might inhibit mineralization. Increased PHEX expression at higher density would permit OPN degradation and mineralization. Lack of BSP thus reduces MCC culture clonogenicity, differentiation and activity, consistent with lower bone formation in vivo. A BSP−/− bone microenvironment may alter proliferation/cell fate in early OP, explaining the smaller size of CFU-PAL observed in BM cultures.