The transcription factor Mohawk (Mkx) is expressed in developing tendons and is an important regulator of tenogenic differentiation. However, the exact roles of Mkx in tendinopathy and tendon repair remain unclear. Using gene expression Omnibus datasets and immunofluorescence assays, we found that Mkx expression level was dramatically lower in human tendinopathy tissue and it is activated at specific stages of tendon development. In mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), ectopic Mkx expression strikingly promoted tenogenesis more efficiently than Scleraxis (Scx), a well-known master transcription factor of tendon. Significantly higher levels of tenogenic gene expression and collagen fibril growth were observed with Mkx versus Scx. Interestingly, it was observed that Mkx dramatically upregulated Scx through binding to the Tgfb2 promoter. Additionally, the transplantation of Mkx-expressing-MSC sheets promoted tendon repair in a mouse model of Achilles-tendon defect. Taken together, these data shed light on previously unrecognized roles of Mkx in tendinopathy, tenogenesis, and tendon repair as well as in regulating the TGFb pathway. STEM CELLS 2015;33:443-455

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Cdo bridges scaffold proteins BNIP-2 and JLP to activate p38MAPK during myoblast differentiation. KIF5B is a novel interacting partner of BNIP-2 and promotes myogenic differentiation. KIF5B-dependent transport of BNIP-2 is essential for its promyogenic effects.

Phase transitions induced by activator concentration should be avoided in most cases because they usually degrade luminescent properties of inorganic phosphors. However, in the LaSc 3 (BO 3 ) 4 :xEu 3+ (LSBO:xEu 3+ ) phosphors investigated here, a delayed concentration quenching of luminescence caused by Eu 3+ -induced phase transition from the monoclinic α-LSBO to the trigonal β-LSBO is proved via XRD refinements, photoluminescent spectra, fluorescence decay curves, and Raman spectra. Increasing the doping concentration of Eu 3+ within x lower than 0.8 benefits the transition from the αto β-phase, which increases the fluorescent lifetime and reduces the nonradiative transition of Eu 3+ , thus compensating the Eu 3+ luminescence and delaying the quenching point to a higher concentration. The inversion symmetry of the Eu 3+ site in β-LSBO is demonstrated to be higher than that in α-LSBO by the Judd−Ofelt theory and a new model proposed to calculate the distance index representing the symmetry. Moreover, both the high quantum efficiency of 89% and the good thermal stability of the emission intensity at 400 K being 88% of that at 300 K make the optimal LSBO:0.8Eu 3+ phosphor a promising application prospect. This kind of activator-induced phase transitions contributing to the enhanced luminescence and the delayed quenching concentration may provide a new and effective way for improving luminescent properties of phosphors.

A single phase color-tunable white light emitting Ca8ZnLu(PO4)7:Eu2+,Mn2+ phosphor with high color rendering index has been rationally designed via combination of cyan and red emissions.