Study of the embryology and ossification of modern bones predicts that fossil intermembranous bones (which ossify from connective tissue) will exhibit greater size variability than endochondral bones (which are formed from embryological cartilaginous precursors), because intermembranous bones are less tightly constrained by joints and articular surfaces. To evaluate this hypothesis, we measured multiple dimensions of 989 intermembranous bones (patellae and other sesamoids) of the saber-toothed cat Smilodon fatalis, the Ice Age lion Panthera atrox, the bison Bison antiquus, the horse Equus occidentalis, the camel Camelops hesternus, the ground sloths Paramylodon (=Glossotherium) harlani and Nothrotheriops shastensis from Rancho La Brea and from the late Pleistocene San Josecito Cave in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. These were compared to measurements of 811 endochondral bones (primarily astragali) of comparable size. Through statistical analyses (coefficients of variation, ANOVA, modified Levene's test, and t-tests) we found slight evidence of higher variability in many of the intermembranous bones of these taxa (21 out of 27 CVs were higher for intermembranous bones than endochondral bones), although this trend is not found in all taxa. Using a modified Levene's test, only Smilodon and some of the dimensions of horse and bison patellae are significantly more variable than the corresponding dimensions of the astragali. Although the results are mixed, at least some data show that intermembranous bones are not as tightly constrained by growth and by adjacent tissues as are endochondral bones. This evidence of relative variability is important in assessing how much variability is typical of a single species, and thus has taxonomic implications.

Endochondral ossification is the process of skeletal bone growth via the formation of a cartilage template that subsequently undergoes mineralization to form trabecular bone. Genetic mutations affecting the proliferation or differentiation of chondrocytes result in skeletal abnormalities. Activating transcription factor-2 (ATF-2) modulates expression of cell cycle regulatory genes in chondrocytes, and mutation of ATF-2 results in a dwarfed phenotype. Here we investigate the regulatory role that ATF-2 plays in expression of the pocket proteins, cell cycle regulators important in cellular proliferation and differentiation. The spatial and temporal pattern of pocket protein expression was identified in wild type and mutant growth plates. Expression of retinoblastoma (pRb) mRNA and protein were decreased in ATF-2 mutant primary chondrocytes. pRb mRNA expression was coordinated with chondrogenic differentiation and cell cycle exit in ATDC5 cells. Type X collagen immunohistochemistry was performed to visualize a delay in differentiation in response to loss of ATF-2 signaling. Chondrocyte proliferation was also affected by loss of ATF-2. These studies suggest pRb plays a role in chondrocyte proliferation, differentiation and growth plate development by modulating cell cycle progression. ATF-2 regulates expression of pRb within the developing growth plate, contributing to the skeletal phenotype of ATF-2 mutant mice through the regulation of chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第19223号 / 医博第4022号 / 新制||医||1010(附属図書館) / 32222 / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 妻木 範行, 教授 開 祐司, 教授 松田 秀一 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(薬科学) / 甲第21047号 / 薬科博第90号 / 新制||薬科||10(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院薬学研究科薬科学専攻 / (主査)教授 竹島 浩, 教授 中山 和久, 教授 金子 周司 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Kyoto University / DFAM

published_or_final_version / abstract / Biochemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Estudo dos efeitos da irradiação ultra-sônica pulsada de baixa intensidade sobre o desenvolvimento de segmentos da coluna vertebral implantados em camundongos isogênicos / The aim of the present research was evaluate the action of low-intensity pulsed ultrasonic irradiation on development and ossification of vertebral column blastemas, through mice new born tail segments implants in adult receptor isogenic mice lineages C57BL/6 and Balb/C. New born tail segments were implanted in subcutaneous tissues of adults isogenics mice C57BL/6 and intramuscularly in adults isogenics mice Balb/C. After 24 hours the implant, the animals in both groups, were stimulated with the low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), 10 minutes per day. After 5 days of stimulus, the receptors animals were death and had the implanted tails removed for histopathology, trhrough Periodic Acid Schiff plus Alcian Blue (PAS/AB), Masson's tricomico and hem lumen-eosin (HE). The group of animals stimulated which received subcutaneous implant presented the implant with accelerated in inter-vertebral diks, faces to chondrocytes organization and chondroblastes findings in cartilaginous matrix, showing maturity in fiber cartilages arrangements. It was observed too, a collagen fibers enlargement in the disks fibro cartilage which show more dense next the pulposo nucleus in the segments implanted and stimulated, compared with the controls segments. The areas of the segments were available by Fisher's test and Student's t. It didn't watch significant differences in the vertebral bodies' areas sizes in the animals which implant was subcutaneous (p'< OU = '0.05). In the intramuscular implants animals group, it was observed a major velocity in the hialuronic acid matrix formation in the intervertebral disks after LIPUS stimulus. Moreover, the fibrous ring fiber cartilages' were better organized with large number of cells inside the cartilaginous matrix compared with the controls segments. With regard to the vertebral bodies in the intramuscular implants, it's not verifies significant increases in the areas (p'< OU =' 0,05). The findings allow conclude that LIPUS should promote the ontogenetic differentation of the structural components of the mice vertebral column more quickly, trhough vertebras endochondral ossification microscopic evaluation and the inter-vertebral disks components differentiation, follow the methodology employed.

Estrogen-receptor-related receptor gamma, ERRγ, is highly expressed in cartilage and upregulates the chondrogenic transcription factor, Sox9, in a chondrocytic cell line. To assess the effect of increasing ERRγ activity on cartilage in vivo, we generated transgenic animals driving ERRγ expression with a chondrocyte-specific promoter. I verified that one transgenic line exhibited 26% increased ERRγ protein at E14.5. No major morphological defects were seen at this stage, but I observed significant reduction in the size of the appendicular skeleton in P7 mice, such that all elements of the appendicular skeleton were significantly reduced by 4 – 10%. I continued the phenotype analysis at the histological level and found that the P7 animals displayed significantly reduced growth plate height, caused by deficiencies in the size of the proliferative and hypertrophic zones of the growth plate. This suggests a previously unknown role for ERRγ in regulating endochondral ossification in growth plate chondrocytes.

Fracture repair is a regenerative event that involves the precise coordination of a variety of cells for successful healing process. Within the microstructure hierarchy of bone repair, the predominant cells involved include the chondrocytes, osteocytes, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts. Although the role of osteoblasts during fracture healing has been previously shown, their role during the initiation phase of endochondral fracture repair remains unclear. In order to study the role of osteoblasts during fracture repair, we used a transgenic mouse model expressing the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene in early differentiating osteoblasts, which allows conditional ablation of cells in osteoblastic lineage upon treatment with the Gancicolvir drug. Results from this study suggest that not only are osteoblasts required in later stages of fracture repair as the medium for bone synthesis, and osteoclast activation during bone remodelling, but could also be required for the initiation and advancement of the endochondral ossification process.

Estrogen-receptor-related receptor gamma, ERRγ, is highly expressed in cartilage and upregulates the chondrogenic transcription factor, Sox9, in a chondrocytic cell line. To assess the effect of increasing ERRγ activity on cartilage in vivo, we generated transgenic animals driving ERRγ expression with a chondrocyte-specific promoter. I verified that one transgenic line exhibited 26% increased ERRγ protein at E14.5. No major morphological defects were seen at this stage, but I observed significant reduction in the size of the appendicular skeleton in P7 mice, such that all elements of the appendicular skeleton were significantly reduced by 4 – 10%. I continued the phenotype analysis at the histological level and found that the P7 animals displayed significantly reduced growth plate height, caused by deficiencies in the size of the proliferative and hypertrophic zones of the growth plate. This suggests a previously unknown role for ERRγ in regulating endochondral ossification in growth plate chondrocytes.

Fracture repair is a regenerative event that involves the precise coordination of a variety of cells for successful healing process. Within the microstructure hierarchy of bone repair, the predominant cells involved include the chondrocytes, osteocytes, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts. Although the role of osteoblasts during fracture healing has been previously shown, their role during the initiation phase of endochondral fracture repair remains unclear. In order to study the role of osteoblasts during fracture repair, we used a transgenic mouse model expressing the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene in early differentiating osteoblasts, which allows conditional ablation of cells in osteoblastic lineage upon treatment with the Gancicolvir drug. Results from this study suggest that not only are osteoblasts required in later stages of fracture repair as the medium for bone synthesis, and osteoclast activation during bone remodelling, but could also be required for the initiation and advancement of the endochondral ossification process.