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Identification and cloning of a human urea transporter HUT11, which is downregulated during adipogenesis of explant cultures of human bone
Author(s) -
Prichett William P.,
Patton Amanda J.,
Field John A.,
Brun Kimberly A.,
Emery John G.,
Tan Kong B.,
Rieman David J.,
McClung Heather A.,
Nadeau Daniel P.,
Mooney Jeffrey L.,
Suva Larry J.,
Gowen Maxine,
Nuttall Mark E.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of cellular biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1097-4644
pISSN - 0730-2312
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4644(20000315)76:4<639::aid-jcb12>3.0.co;2-i
Subject(s) - osteoblast , adipocyte , transdifferentiation , adipogenesis , biology , runx2 , microbiology and biotechnology , differential display , endocrinology , gene expression , medicine , adipose tissue , gene , stem cell , genetics , in vitro
Bipotential cells in human trabecular bone explant cultures that express osteoblast characteristics are able to undergo adipogenesis in the presence of 3‐isobutyl‐1‐methylxanthine plus dexamethasone (Nuttall et al. [1998] J Bone Miner Res 13:371–382). The initial studies of these bipotential cells in explant cultures have been extended to examine differential gene expression during osteoblast/adipocyte trans differentiation. Using differential display, we have identified a gene expressed in trabecular bone explant cultures that is downregulated as these cells differentiate from an osteoblast to an adipocyte phenotype. Homology searching identified this gene as the human urea transporter HUT11. The expression and downregulation of HUT11 have been observed in multiple patient bone explant cultures. The size of the bone explant‐derived HUT11 mRNA is ∼4.4 kb, which is identical to the largest splice variant reported. In this article, we report the cloning and sequencing of this gene from primary human osteoblasts. In addition, we report tissue distribution for the bone explant‐derived form of HUT11 mRNA and show a reciprocal relationship between the expression of HUT11 and the nuclear hormone receptor peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma 2, which is a marker of adipocyte differentiation. Because the control of osteoblast/adipocyte trans differentiation is unknown, selective downregulation of HUT11 during adipogenesis suggests that HUT11 expression may be a marker of the switch from an osteoblast to an adipocyte phenotype. Understanding the role of HUT11 in osteoblasts may provide insights into the mechanism controlling osteoblast and adipocyte differentiation. J. Cell. Biochem. 76:639–650, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.