Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

A Novel in vivo Gene Transfer Technique and in vitro Cell Based Assays for the Study of Bone Loss in Musculoskeletal Disorders
Published on: June 8, 2014
Autoregulation of bone sialoprotein gene in pre-osteoblastic and non-osteoblastic cells
Qisheng Tu1, Masato Yamauchi, Steven C Pageau
1Division of Oral Biology, Department of General Dentistry, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Abstract:
Regulation of the bone sialoprotein (BSP) gene is important in the differentiation of osteoblasts, in bone matrix mineralization, and in tumor metastasis. We investigated BSP gene transcription by performing functional analysis of the 9256bp of the 5' flanking region of the murine BSP gene containing its promoter. We found that the forced expression of BSP stimulated mouse BSP promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner in both MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast and HEK-293 cell lines, which was transcriptional factor Cbfa1 independent. Co-culture of cells separately expressing BSP promoter reporter and BSP failed to mediate the BSP autoregulation, suggesting that the event might happen intracellularly. Deletion analysis of the BSP promoter indicated that the proximal promoter (110bp) was sufficient to confer this autoregulation. We conclude that the BSP gene is autoregulated in part by a positive feedback on its own promoter.
Related Concept Videos
Bone Remodeling
Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
Bone Cells and Tissue
Osteoblasts and Osteocytes
The osteoblast is the bone cell responsible for forming new bone tissue. It is found in the growing portions of bone, including the periosteum and...
Hormones and Bone Tissue
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis
The Parathyroid Glands
Oxyphil cells, whose functions remain elusive, emerge during late puberty, adding a layer of complexity to the parathyroid gland's intricacies. In contrast, principal parathyroid cells undertake a vital role by producing...

