Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Preparation of 3D Collagen Gels and Microchannels for the Study of 3D Interactions In Vivo
Published on: May 9, 2016
Type I collagen-induced osteoblastic differentiation of bone-marrow cells mediated by collagen-alpha2beta1 integrin
M Mizuno1, R Fujisawa, Y Kuboki
1Department of Biochemistry, School of Dentistry, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Abstract:
Bone marrow cells are multipotent cells. When bone marrow cells were cultured with type I collagen matrix gels, they showed high alkaline phosphatase activity, collagen synthesis, and formed mineralized tissues. Furthermore, cells expressed osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein genes, which are osteoblast-specific genes. These findings indicate that type I collagen matrix gels induce osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow cells. Type I collagen interacts with the alpha 2 beta 1 integrin receptor on the cell membrane and mediates extracellular signals into cells. DGEA peptide is a cell-binding domain of type I collagen molecule. When collagen-integrin interaction was interrupted by the addition of Asp-Gly-Glu-Ala (DGEA) peptide to the culture, the expression of osteoblastic phenotypes of bone marrow cells was inhibited. Furthermore, anti-alpha 2 integrin antibody, which interacts with alpha subunit of integrin and blocks the binding of integrin with collagen, suppressed the expression of osteoblastic phenotypes. These findings imply that collagen-alpha 2 beta 1 integrin interaction is an important signal for the osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow cells.
Related Concept Videos
Structural Protein Function
Collagen, the most abundant protein in mammals, is found throughout the body. In connective tissue, such as skin, ligaments, and tendons, it provides tensile strength and elasticity. In bones and teeth, it mineralizes to form...
TGF - β Signaling Pathway
Collagens are the Major Structural Proteins of ECM
Connective tissue proper includes loose...
Fibril-associated Collagen
For example, the type II collagen fibrils in cartilage have covalently bound type IX fibril-associated collagens at regular intervals. Other types of fibril-associated collagens are...
Type IV Collagen of Basal Lamina
A type IV collagen molecule has six alpha chains which can exist in...
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...

