| First Author | Tagariello A | Year | 2008 |
| Journal | Matrix Biol | Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 3-11 |
| PubMed ID | 17707622 | Mgi Jnum | J:130737 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3772275 | Doi | 10.1016/j.matbio.2007.07.004 |
| Citation | Tagariello A, et al. (2008) Ucma - A novel secreted factor represents a highly specific marker for distal chondrocytes. Matrix Biol 27(1):3-11 |
| abstractText | Growth and development of most parts of the vertebrate skeleton takes place by endochondral ossification, a process during which chondrocytes undergo distinct stages of differentiation resulting in a successive replacement of the cartilage anlagen by bone. In the context of an EST project we isolated a novel transcript from a human fetal growth plate cartilage cDNA library. The transcript which we called Ucma (unique cartilage matrix-associated protein) encodes a short protein of 138 amino acids. The protein sequence is evolutionary conserved throughout vertebrates and comprises a signal peptide, a coiled-coil domain, and a putative dibasic cleavage site for proprotein convertases. Using RNA in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry with a polyclonal anti-Ucma antibody we found high expression of Ucma uniquely in distal (resting) chondrocytes in developing long bones of wildtype mice. This restricted expression could also be observed in Ihh(-/-), Ihh(-/-); Gli3(-/-), Gli3(-/-) mice, and in mice that overexpress Ihh under the control of the Col2a1 promoter indicating that expression of Ucma is regulated independent of hedgehog signaling. During insulin-induced differentiation of ATDC5 cells we found gradual increase of Ucma expression at day 21 with a maximum at day 24 and a decrease correlating with a simultaneous increase in the expression of cartilage link protein (Crtl1), a protein with maximum expression in column-forming proliferating chondrocytes. The present data strongly suggest an important function of Ucma in the early phase of chondrocyte differentiation. |
