Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Laser Capture Microdissection of Mouse Embryonic Cartilage and Bone for Gene Expression Analysis
Published on: December 18, 2019
The orphan nuclear estrogen receptor-related receptor-alpha regulates cartilage formation in vitro: implication of
E Bonnelye1, R A Zirngibl, P Jurdic
1Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Room 6230, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8.
Abstract:
We report for the first time the expression of estrogen receptor-related receptor (ERR)-alpha in fetal and adult rat chondrocytes in growth plate and articular cartilage and the rat chondrogenic cell line C5.18 cells in vitro. ERRalpha mRNA and protein were expressed from proliferating chondrocyte to mature chondrocyte stages. We show that overexpressing ERRalpha in C5.18 cell cultures induces an increase in Sry-type high-mobility-group box transcription factor (Sox)-9 expression, a master gene in cartilage formation. In parallel, we report Sox9 promoter regulation by ERRalpha in C5.18 cells. To assess a functional role for ERRalpha in chondrogenesis, its expression was blocked by antisense oligonucleotides in C5.18 cell cultures, and this led to inhibition of cartilage formation associated with down-regulation of Sox9 and Indian hedgehog expression and maturation of proliferating chondrocytes into hypertrophic chondrocytes in vitro. Together these results implicate ERRalpha in the formation and maintenance of cartilage and also suggest that agonists and antagonists of ERRalpha may be useful as therapeutic agents in a wide variety of diseases affecting cartilage and joints.
Related Concept Videos
Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification
Master Transcription Regulators
Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue
Bone Remodeling and Repair
Pleiotropy
Transducer Mechanism: Nuclear Receptors
About 48 different soluble family members of nuclear receptors are identified that can be divided into two main classes: