Premium
Growth and Differentiation of Osteoblast‐Like Cells from Calvaria of Connexin43 Deficient Mice
Author(s) -
Wiemann M.,
Gramsch B.,
Winterhager E.,
Schirrmacher K.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
materialwissenschaft und werkstofftechnik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.285
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1521-4052
pISSN - 0933-5137
DOI - 10.1002/mawe.200400833
Subject(s) - calvaria , gap junction , osteoblast , connexin , alkaline phosphatase , microbiology and biotechnology , lucifer yellow , chemistry , runx2 , biology , in vitro , biochemistry , intracellular , enzyme
Abstract Extensive cell‐cell‐coupling via gap junctions has been suspected to play an essential role for osteoblast development. Here, osteoblast‐like cells (OBL) from connexin(Cx)43 knock out mice were used to explore the role of Cx43 for osteoblast differentiation. Primary cultures of OBL were derived from calvaria of homozygous (Cx43‐/‐) and heterozygous (Cx43+/–) knock out mice and also from wild type controls (Cx43+/+). In Cx43‐/‐ OBL Lucifer Yellow dye coupling was largely abolished demonstrating that small molecules could no longer be transferred among neighboring cells. Cx43‐/‐ OBL grew out very slowly from calvarial fragments. Nevertheless their cell density around explants was increased 3‐fold vs. controls after 3 weeks. Histochemistry showed that in many Cx43‐/‐ OBL there was an increased alkaline phosphatase activity within the cytoplasm and close to the cell membrane. Mineralization was diminished in Cx43‐/‐ cultures. In heterozygous Cx43+/– OBL all aforementioned effects were less pronounced, pointing to a gene‐dosage effect. Data suggest that the loss of Cx43 indirectly impairs the osteoblastic phenotype, e.g. by disturbing cellular functions such as motility and/or secretion. If this holds true, all parameters in the interphase of enosseous implants which lower gap junction expression will also affect bone regeneration.