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Expression of doublecortin reveals articular chondrocyte lineage in mouse embryonic limbs
Author(s) -
Zhang Qiuyang,
Cigan Alexander D.,
Marrero Luis,
Lopreore Courtney,
Liu Sen,
Ge Dongxia,
Savoie Felix H.,
You Zongbing
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
genesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.093
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1526-968X
pISSN - 1526-954X
DOI - 10.1002/dvg.20702
Subject(s) - chondrocyte , endochondral ossification , chondrogenesis , microbiology and biotechnology , mesenchymal stem cell , doublecortin , biology , embryonic stem cell , anatomy , cartilage , gene , genetics , neuroscience , dentate gyrus , hippocampal formation
The doublecortin ( Dcx ) gene encodes a microtubule‐binding protein that was originally found in immature neurons. In this study, we used two mouse strains that express reporter genes ( LacZ and enhanced green fluorescence protein, respectively) driven by the endogenous Dcx promoter. We found that Dcx was expressed in the mesenchymal cells in the mouse embryonic limb buds. A population of the mesenchymal cells continued Dcx expression after they differentiated into joint interzone cells and then articular chondrocytes. In contrast, the endochondral chondrocytes lost Dcx expression when the mesenchymal cells differentiated into endochondral chondrocytes. These data support a concept that the articular and endochondral chondrocytes originate from the same mesenchymal cells that express Dcx . In contrast to the notion that articular chondrocytes are derived from de‐differentiated endochondral chondrocytes, our findings demonstrate that the lineages of articular and endochondral chondrocytes bifurcate at the stage of endochondral chondrogenesis. genesis 49:75–82, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.