Association of tenascin-W expression with mineralization in mouse calvarial development

Tenascin-W is a tenascin family member that forms part of a complex extracellular matrix, and previous studies have suggested its association with osteogenesis. In the present study we investigated the roles of tenascin-W in osteogenesis. We found that tenascin-W is expressed in osteoblasts at the edge of the developing bone domain prior to mineralization in mouse fetuses. Expression of tenascin-W was induced during the course of mineralization of the Kusa-A1 osteoblast cell line. In the interfrontal suture of postnatal mice, the anterior portion remains patent and the posterior portion closes by 4 weeks of age. Tenascin-W expression was downregulated at 1 week of age in the posterior frontal suture, whereas in the anterior suture, expression was maintained until the mice reached 4 weeks of age. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2)-bead application to the mouse fetal skull by ex-utero surgery accelerated osteoblast differentiation, but inhibited mineralization with a downregulation of tenascin-W expression. These results suggest that tenascin-W is involved in osteoblast maturation (i.e. mineralization).