ROB-C26 Cells Research Articles

FGF8 regulates myogenesis and induces Runx2 expression and osteoblast differentiation in cultured cells

In the current study, treatment of the rat osteogenic cell line ROB-C26 cells with fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF8) stimulated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and also induced the expression of the Runx2 transcription factor, and increased the activity of a luciferase reporter gene containing the osteocalcin (OCN) promoter and six copies of the osteoblast specific cis-acting element 2 (OSE2) response element. In contrast, FGF8 treatment of the mouse myoblast cell line C2C12 inhibited the expression of desmin and the synthesis of myotubes. The expression of MyoD, Myogenin, Foxc2, and Hand1 was also decreased by FGF8. Transient expression of Foxc2 in C2C12 cells induced the expression of Hand1, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis indicated that Foxc2 binds to the promoter region of the Hand1 gene. These results indicated that Foxc2 is directly involved in the regulation of Hand1 expression. The results of the current study indicate that FGF8 regulates myoblast differentiation through the regulation of MyoD expression, and that this regulation is independent of Hand1 in cultured cells. Conversely, FGF8 supports bone development and cell differentiation though the induction of Runx2 expression.

C-Type natriuretic peptide/guanylate cyclase B system in rat osteogenic ROB-C26 cells and its down-regulation by dexamethazone.

There is recent evidence that natriuretic peptides are important regulators of bone and cartilage, although they were originally identified as the cardiac hormones causing natriuresis and hypotension. Three members of natriuretic peptide family are known: atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP). The biologically active receptors for these peptides are particulate guanylate cyclases; the two known types are GC-A and GC-B. ANP and BNP have high affinities for GC-A, and CNP is the preferred ligand for GC-B. In this paper we report the results of our study of the expression and possible role(s) of natriuretic peptides in the ROB-C26 cell, which is an osteogenic cell line with multiple potentials for differentiating into myoblast, osteoblast, and adipocyte. ROB-C26 cells produced cGMP in response to natriuretic peptides at both their basal state and after enhanced differentiation into osteoblast which was induced by bone morphogenetic protein [(BMP)-2]. CNP was far more potent than ANP in cGMP production. In contrast, enhanced differentiation into adipocyte by dexamethasone resulted in the marked decrease in their responsiveness to natriuretic peptides. Although the messages for GC-A and GC-B were demonstrated by Northern blot analysis at both the basal stage and after BMP treatment, they were down-regulated after dexamethasone treatment. The presence of CNP was shown by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry in ROB-C26 cells. C3H10T1/2, which is another and more primitive mesenchymal cell line, also produced cGMP in response to CNP, and less potently to ANP. Culturing ROB-C26 cells with CNP or 8-bromo cGMP decreased [(3)H]thymidine uptake and slightly increased the message for alkaline phosphatase, which is a marker for osteoblast differentiation. These results suggest that the CNP/GC-B system is preferentially expressed in the cells of osteogenic lineage and their expression is down-regulated with differentiation into adipocyte lineage. The CNP/GC-B system is likely to be an autocrine/paracrine regulator of osteoblast growth and differentiation.

Effects of nicotine on cultured cells suggest that it can influence the formation and resorption of bone

The acute effects of nicotine [1-methyl-2-(3-pyridyl)pyrrolidine] on the formation and resorption of bone were examined in cultures of clonal rat calvarial osteogenic cells (ROB-C26) and clonal mouse calvarial preosteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1), as well as in osteoclast-like cells formed during coculture of mouse bone marrow cells and clonal stromal cells from mouse bone marrow, ST2 cells, at concentrations that occur in the saliva of smokeless tobacco users. Nicotine stimulated the rate of deposition of Ca 2+ by ROB-C26 cells, as well as the alkaline phosphatase activity of these cells, in a dose-dependent manner. However, both activities decreased in MC3T3-E1 cells that had been exposed to nicotine. These results indicate that nicotine affected osteoblastic differentiation in osteoblast-like cells. By contrast, nicotine reduced, in a dose-dependent manner, the formation of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multinucleated cells (MNCs) and the formation of pits on slices of dentine, both of which are typical characteristics of osteoclasts. Our results suggest that nicotine might have critical effects on bone metabolism.

Characterization of bone morphogenetic protein-6 signaling pathways in osteoblast differentiation

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-6 is a member of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-(&bgr;) superfamily, and is most similar to BMP-5, osteogenic protein (OP)-1/BMP-7, and OP-2/BMP-8. In the present study, we characterized the endogenous BMP-6 signaling pathway during osteoblast differentiation. BMP-6 strongly induced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in cells of osteoblast lineage, including C2C12 cells, MC3T3-E1 cells, and ROB-C26 cells. The profile of binding of BMP-6 to type I and type II receptors was similar to that of OP-1/BMP-7 in C2C12 cells and MC3T3-E1 cells; BMP-6 strongly bound to activin receptor-like kinase (ALK)-2 (also termed ActR-I), together with type II receptors, i.e. BMP type II receptor (BMPR-II) and activin type II receptor (ActR-II). In addition, BMP-6 weakly bound to BMPR-IA (ALK-3), to which BMP-2 also bound. In contrast, binding of BMP-6 to BMPR-IB (ALK-6), and less efficiently to ALK-2 and BMPR-IA, together with BMPR-II was detected in ROB-C26 cells. Intracellular signalling was further studied using C2C12 and MC3T3-E1 cells. Among the receptor-regulated Smads activated by BMP receptors, BMP-6 strongly induced phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of Smad5, and less efficiently those of Smad1. However, Smad8 was constitutively phosphorylated, and no further phosphorylation or nuclear accumulation of Smad8 by BMP-6 was observed. These findings indicate that in the process of differentiation to osteoblasts, BMP-6 binds to ALK-2 as well as other type I receptors, and transduces signals mainly through Smad5 and possibly through Smad1.

Intracellular signaling of osteogenic protein-1 through Smad5 activation.

Smad proteins play pivotal roles in the intracellular signaling of the multifunctional transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family members downstream of serine/threonine kinase type I and type II receptors. Smad2 and Smad3 are specific mediators of TGF-beta and activin, while Smadl and Smad5 are involved in bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and BMP-4 signaling. Here we report that osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1), also termed BMP-7, binds predominantly to BMPR-IB in the rat osteoprogenitor-like cell line, ROB-C26. Smad1, Smad5, and Smad8, but not Smad2 and Smad3, were found to stably interact with the kinase-deficient BMPR-IB after it was phosphorylated by the BMPR-II kinase. In ROB-C26 cells, which express Smad2, Smad3, Smad4, and Smad5, OP-1 was found to stimulate the phosphorylation of Smad5. Whereas transfection of wild-type Smad5 enhanced the OP-1-induced response, transfection of wild-type Smad2 had no effect on OP-1 signaling. A Smad5-2SA mutant, in which the two most carboxy-terminal serine residues were mutated to alanine residues, was found to act as a dominant negative inhibitor of OP-1-induced responses upon its transfection into various cell types, including ROB-C26 cells, in contrast to ectopic expression of a Smad2-2SA mutant which was without effect. Smad5, therefore, is a key component in the intracellular signaling of OP-1.

The Calpain–Calpastatin System and Cellular Proliferation and Differentiation in Rodent Osteoblastic Cells

The calpain–calpastatin system, which consists of calpains I and II (two ubiquitously distributedcalcium-activated papain-like cysteine proteases), as well as calpastatin (the endogenous calpain inhibitor), plays an important role in cell proliferation and differentiation in many tissues. However, its contribution to the regulation of osteoprogenitor or pluripotent stem cell proliferation and differentiation into osteoblasts remains poorly defined. In these studies, rat pluripotent mesodermal cells (ROB-C26) and mouse MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts were induced to differentiate into osteoblasts by long-term culture or in response to bone morphogenetic protein (BMP). The occurrence and distribution of calpain–calpastatin system proteins were determined by immunofluorescent microscopy, measurement of calcium-dependent proteolytic activity, and Western blotting. Treatment of intact MC3T3-E1 cells with an irreversible, membrane-permeable cysteine protease inhibitor attenuated proliferation and alkaline phosphatase upregulation under differentiation-enhancing conditions. Calpain II activity increased during differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells in postconfluent culture. When ROB-C26 cells were maintained in long-term culture, neutral protease, calpain I, and calpain II activities increased 2- to 3-fold in the absence of BMP. In the presence of partially purified native BMP, neutral protease and calpain I activities also increased similarly, but calpain II activity increased by 10-fold in 3 days. The maximal increase in alkaline phosphatase occurred 4 to 11 days after the calpain II activity had peaked. Induction of differentiation in long-term MC3T3-E1 cultures was associated with higher calpain II and 70- and 110-kDa calpastatin protein levels and lower 17-kDa calpastatin degradation product levels. In conclusion, cysteine protease activity is essential for preosteoblastic proliferation and differentiation. The calpain–calpastatin system is regulated during osteoprogenitor proliferation and differentiation, as it is in other cells, and bone morphogenetic protein is a specific regulator of calpain II.

Identification of receptors for bone morphogenetic proteins

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-7/osteogenic protein (OP)-1 and growth/differentiation factor (GDF)-5 are members of the BMP family. BMPs transduce their effects through binding to two different types of serine/threonine kinase receptors, type I and type II. Here we investigated the binding and signaling properties of BMP-7/OP-1 and GDF-5 through type I and type II receptors. BMP-7/OP-1 was found to bind Activin receptor-like kinase (ALK)-1 as well as ALK-3/BMPR-IA in ATDC5 cells. When ALK-1 or ALK-3/BMPR-IA was stably transfected into mink lung epithelial cells, ALK-1 and ALK-3/BMPR-IA mediated signals for BMP-7/OP-1 with heterogeneous signaling specificities. GDF-5 bound to ALK-6/BMPR-IB and BMP type II receptor (BMPR-II) but not to ALK-3/BMPR-IA in ROB-C26 cells. Analysis using COS-1 cells revealed that GDF-5 bound to ALK-6/BMPR-IB, but not to the other type I receptors when expressed alone. When COS-1 cells were transfected with type II receptor cDNAs, GDF-5 bound to Activin type II receptor (ActR-II) and type IIB receptors as well as BMPR-II but not to TGF-beta type II receptor. In the presence of type II receptors, GDF-5 bound to different sets of type I receptors, but the binding was most efficient to ALK-6/BMPR-IB compared to the other type I receptors. Moreover, GDF-5 transduced the signal efficiently by ALK-6/BMPR-IB in the presence of BMPR-II or ActR-II.

Identification of Type I and Type II Serine/Threonine Kinase Receptors for Growth/Differentiation Factor-5

Growth/differentiation factor-5 (GDF-5) is a member of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family, which plays an important role in bone development in vivo. Mutations in the GDF-5 gene result in brachypodism in mice and Hunter-Thompson type chondrodysplasia in human. BMPs transduce their effects through binding to two different types of serine/threonine kinase receptors, type I and type II. However, binding abilities appear to be different among the members of the BMP family. BMP-4 binds to two different type I receptors, BMP receptors type IA (BMPR-IA) and type IB (BMPR-IB), and a type II receptor, BMP receptor type II (BMPR-II). In addition to these receptors, osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1, also known as BMP-7) binds to activin type I receptor (ActR-I) as well as activin type II receptors (ActR-II and ActR-IIB). Here we investigate the binding and signaling properties of GDF-5 through type I and type II receptors. GDF-5 induced alkaline phosphatase activity in a rat osteoprogenitor-like cell line, ROB-C26. 125I-GDF-5 bound to BMPR-IB and BMPR-II but not to BMPR-IA in ROB-C26 cells and other nontransfected cell lines. Analysis using COS-1 cells transfected with the receptor cDNAs revealed that GDF-5 bound to BMPR-IB but not to the other type I receptors when expressed alone. When COS-1 cells were transfected with type II receptor cDNAs, GDF-5 bound to ActR-II, ActR-IIB, and BMPR-II but not to transforming growth factor-beta type II receptor. In the presence of type II receptors, GDF-5 bound to different sets of type I receptors, but the binding was most efficient to BMPR-IB compared with the other type I receptors. Moreover, a transcriptional activation signal was efficiently transduced by BMPR-IB in the presence of BMPR-II or ActR-II after stimulation by GDF-5. These results suggest that BMPR-IB mediates certain signals for GDF-5 after forming the heteromeric complex with BMPR-II or ActR-II.