Subcutaneous implantation ofdemineralized diaphyseal bone matrix in allogeneic rats results in the local induction of endochondral bone differentiation. We have explored the potential of three dissociative extractants, 4 M guanidine hydrochloride (Gdn HCI), 8 M urea/i M NaCI, and 1% NaDodSO4 at pH 7.4, containing protease inhibitors to solubilize putative inductive molecules in the bone matrix. Extraction of bone matrix with any one of these extractants resulted in the loss of the bone inductive property. The solubilized extracts were then reconstituted with the residue by dialysis against water. The various reconstituted matrices were bioassayed for bone inductive potential by quantitation of alkaline phosphatase activity and 4Ca incorporation on day 12 after implantation. There was complete recovery of biological activity after reconstitution of the residues with each of the three extracts. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the extracts revealed similar protein profiles. Gel filtration of the 4 M GdnwHCl extract on Sepharose CL-4B showed a heterogeneous broad peak. When fractions of that peak containing proteins <50,000 daltons were reconstituted with inactive 4 M Gdn HCItreated bone matrix and then implanted, new bone was induced. These observations demonstrate the dissociative extraction and successful biological reconstitution of bone inductive macromolecules in demineralized bone matrix.Subcutaneous implantation of demineralized diaphyseal bone matrix in allogeneic rats results in the local differentiation of fibroblasts to form endochondral bone (1-3). The developmental cascade of endochondral bone differentiation consists of mesenchymal cell chemotaxis, cell proliferation, differentiation and hypertrophy of chondrocytes, vascular invasion, calcification ofcartilage matrix, formation and remodeling ofbone, and, finally, differentiation of hematopoietic bone marrow in the newly formed ossicle (4). Although the cellular and biochemical events accompanying the sequential cell differentiation are well known (4), the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the action ofmatrix on cells are not clear. The present report describes the dissociative extraction and successful biological reconstitution of extracellular matrix components involved in induction of bone differentiation. MATERALTS AND METHODSPreparation of Demineralized Bone. Dehydrated diaphyseal shafts of rat femur and tibia were pulverized in a CRC micromill (Techni Laboratories, Vineland, NJ) and sieved to a discrete particle size of 74-420 Aum. The powders were demineralized with 0.5 M HCl, extracted with water, ethanol, and ether, and prepared as described (1). (20 mM Na2HPO450 mM Tris, pH 7.4), essentially the same extractant but with 0.25% Triton X-100, and three different dissociative extractants: 4 M Gdn.HCV50 mM Tris, pH 7.4; 8 M urea/i M NaCV50 mM Tris, pH 7.4; 1% NaDodSO4/50 mM Tris, pH 7.4. All extractants contained a mixture of protease inhibitors: 5 mM benzamidine/0.1 M 6-aminohexanoic acid/ 0.5 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluorid...

Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a heritable disorder of connective tissue characterized by brittle bones, fractures and extraskeletal manifestations1. How structural mutations of type I collagen (dominant OI) or of its post-translational modification machinery (recessive OI) can cause abnormal quality and quantity of bone is poorly understood. Notably, the clinical overlap between dominant and recessive forms of OI suggests common molecular pathomechanisms2. Here, we show that excessive transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) signaling is a mechanism of OI in both recessive (Crtap−/−) and dominant (Col1a2tm1.1Mcbr) OI mouse models. In the skeleton, we find higher expression of TGFβ target genes, ratio of pSmad2/Smad2 protein, and in vivo Smad2 reporter activity. Anti-TGFβ treatment using the neutralizing antibody 1D11 corrects the bone phenotype in both forms of OI, and improves the lung abnormalities in Crtap−/− mice. Moreover, type I collagen of Crtap−/− mice shows reduced binding to the small leucine rich proteoglycan decorin, a known regulator of TGFβ activity3–4. Hence, altered TGFβ matrix-cell signaling is a primary mechanism in the pathogenesis of OI, and could be a promising target for the treatment of OI.

The biological effects of type I serine/threonine kinase receptors and Smad proteins were examined using an adenovirus-based vector system. Constitutively active forms of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type I receptors (BMPR-IA and BMPR-IB; BMPR-I group) and those of activin receptor-like kinase (ALK)-1 and ALK-2 (ALK-1 group) induced alkaline phosphatase activity in C2C12 cells. Receptor-regulated Smads (R-Smads) that act in the BMP pathways, such as Smad1 and Smad5, also induced the alkaline phosphatase activity in C2C12 cells. BMP-6 dramatically enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity induced by Smad1 or Smad5, probably because of the nuclear translocation of R-Smads triggered by the ligand. Inhibitory Smads, i.e., Smad6 and Smad7, repressed the alkaline phosphatase activity induced by BMP-6 or the type I receptors. Chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 cells was induced by the receptors of the BMPR-I group but not by those of the ALK-1 group. However, kinase-inactive forms of the receptors of the ALK-1 and BMPR-I groups blocked chondrogenic differentiation. Although R-Smads failed to induce cartilage nodule formation, inhibitory Smads blocked it. Osteoblast differentiation induced by BMPs is thus mediated mainly via the Smad-signaling pathway, whereas chondrogenic differentiation may be transmitted by Smad-dependent and independent pathways.

Abstract. Proteins in the TGF-[~ superfamily transduce their effects through binding to type I and type II serine/threonine kinase receptors. Osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1, also known as bone morphogenetic protein-7 or BMP-7), a member of the TGF-[3 superfamily which belongs to the BMP subfamily, was found to bind activin receptor type I (ActR-I), and BMP receptors type IA (BMPR-IA) and type IB (BMPR-IB) in the presence of activin receptors type II (ActR-II) and type liB (ActR-IIB). The binding affinity of OP-1 to ActR-II was two-to threefold lower than that of activin A. A transcriptional activation signal was transduced after binding of OP-1 to the complex of ActR-I and ActR-II, or that of BMPR-IB and ActR-II. These results indicate that ActR-II can act as a functional type II receptor for OP-1, as well as for activins. Some of the known biological effects of activin were observed for OP-1, including growth inhibition and erythroid differentiation induction. Compared to activin, OP-1 was shown to be a poor inducer of mesoderm in Xenopus embryos.Moreover, follistatin, an inhibitor of activins, was found to inhibit the effects of OP-1, if added at a 10-fold excess. However, certain effects of activin, like induction of follicle stimulating hormone secretion in rat pituitary cells were not observed for OP-1. OP-1 has overlapping binding specificities with activins, and shares certain but not all of the functional effects of activins. Thus, OP-1 may have broader effects in vivo than hitherto recognized.

We have shown that osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) (bone morphogenetic protein-7) is responsible for the induction of nephrogenic mesenchyme during embryonic kidney development. Gene knock-out studies showed that OP-1 null mutant mice die of renal failure within the first day of postnatal life. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of recombinant human OP-1 for the treatment of acute renal failure after 60 min bilateral renal artery occlusion in rats. Bioavailability studies in normal rats indicate that ‫ف‬ 1.4 g OP-1/ml is available in the circulation 1 min after intravenous administration of 250 g/kg, which then declines steadily with a half life of 30 min. About 0.5% of the administered OP-1 dose/g tissue is targeted for OP-1 receptors in the kidney. We show that OP-1 preserves kidney function, as determined by reduced blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine, and increased survival rate when administered 10 min before or 1 or 16 h after ischemia, and then at 24-h intervals up to 72 h after reperfusion.

Amino acid sequences of two tryptic peptides derived from enriched bovine osteogenic protein preparations revealed considerable homology to two members of the TGF‐beta (transforming growth factor beta) supergene family, DPP (decapentaplegic protein) of Drosophila and Vg‐1 (vegetal protein) of Xenopus. Building upon this information we constructed a synthetic consensus gene to use as a probe to screen human genomic libraries. This resulted in the isolation of three interrelated genes. Among these were BMP‐2b and BMP‐3 which have recently been described by others. The third gene, termed OP‐1 (osteogenic protein one), is new and was subsequently shown to encode the human homolog of a major component of bovine osteogenic protein. The genomic clones were used to isolate the corresponding complementary DNA (cDNA) clones. Sequence analysis indicates that OP‐1 is a relative of the murine Vgr‐1 (Vg‐1 related gene). This report describes the cDNA structure and putative amino acid sequence of OP‐1.

Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) is a model of renal injury characterized by progressive tubulointerstitial fibrosis and renal damage, while relatively sparing the glomerulus and not producing hypertension or abnormalities in lipid metabolism. Tubulointerstitial fibrosis is a major component of several kidney diseases associated with the progression to end-stage renal failure. Here we report that when a critical renal developmental morphogen, osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1; 100 or 300 microg/kg body wt), is administered at the time of UUO and every other day thereafter, interstitial inflammation and fibrogenesis are prevented, leading to preservation of renal function during the first 5 days after obstruction. Compared with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition with enalapril treatment, OP-1 was more effective in preventing tubulointerstitial fibrosis and in preserving renal function. The mechanism of OP-1- induced renal protection was associated with prevention of tubular atrophy, an effect not shared with enalapril, and was related to preservation of tubular epithelial integrity. OP-1 blocked the stimulation of epithelial cell apoptosis produced by UUO, which promoted maintenance of tubular epithelial integrity. OP-1 preserved renal blood flow (RBF) during UUO, but enalapril also stimulated RBF. Thus OP-1 treatment inhibited tubular epithelial disruption stimulated by the renal injury of UUO, preventing tubular atrophy and diminishing the activation of tubulointerstitial inflammation and fibrosis and preserving renal function.

Ventral midline cells at different rostrocaudal levels of the central nervous system exhibit distinct properties but share the ability to pattern the dorsoventral axis of the neural tube. We show here that ventral midline cells acquire distinct identities in response to the different signaling activities of underlying mesoderm. Signals from prechordal mesoderm control the differentiation of rostral diencephalic ventral midline cells, whereas notochord induces floor plate cells caudally. Sonic hedgehog (SHH) is expressed throughout axial mesoderm and is required for the induction of both rostral diencephalic ventral midline cells and floor plate. However, prechordal mesoderm also expresses BMP7 whose function is required coordinately with SHH to induce rostral diencephalic ventral midline cells. BMP7 acts directly on neural cells, modifying their response to SHH so that they differentiate into rostral diencephalic ventral midline cells rather than floor plate cells. Our results suggest a model whereby axial mesoderm both induces the differentiation of overlying neural cells and controls the rostrocaudal character of the ventral midline of the neural tube.