Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 6, 2026

Isolation of Whole Cell Protein Lysates from Mouse Facial Processes and Cultured Palatal Mesenchyme Cells for Phosphoprotein Analysis
07:26

Isolation of Whole Cell Protein Lysates from Mouse Facial Processes and Cultured Palatal Mesenchyme Cells for Phosphoprotein Analysis

Published on: April 1, 2022

1.9K

BMP receptor 1A determines the cell fate of the postnatal growth plate

Junjun Jing1, Yinshi Ren, Zhaowen Zong

  • 11. State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, China. ; 2. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX, USA.

International Journal of Biological Sciences
|October 29, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Bone morphogenic protein receptor 1A (BMPR1A) is vital for postnatal cartilage development. Its absence in cartilage leads to no long bone growth and replacement of the growth plate with bone-like tissue.

Area of Science:

  • Skeletal biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Molecular genetics

Background:

  • Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) are crucial for skeletal development, influencing both cartilage and bone formation.
  • Previous studies highlighted the importance of BMP receptors (Bmpr1a and Bmpr1b) in embryonic chondrogenesis, suggesting functional redundancy.
  • The specific postnatal role of Bmpr1a in cartilage remained less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the postnatal function of Bmpr1a specifically within cartilage.
  • To elucidate the role of BMPR1A in regulating chondrogenesis and growth plate development after birth.

Main Methods:

  • Generation of a conditional knockout (cKO) mouse model by crossing Bmpr1a flox mice with aggrecan-CreER(T2) mice.
  • Induction of knockout via a single tamoxifen injection at birth.
  • Analysis of skeletal phenotypes, long bone growth, and expression of cartilage markers (SOX9, IHH) at various postnatal ages (2, 4, 8, 20 weeks).

Main Results:

  • Conditional knockout of Bmpr1a in cartilage resulted in a complete absence of long bone growth.
  • Expression of key cartilage markers like SOX9 and IHH was significantly reduced or absent in the knockout growth plates.
  • The growth plate in Bmpr1a cKO mice was unexpectedly replaced by bone-like and fibrous tissues.

Conclusions:

  • BMPR1A plays an indispensable role in postnatal chondrogenesis and growth plate maintenance.
  • Loss of BMPR1A function redirects growth plate progenitor cells towards non-cartilaginous fates, such as bone or fibrous tissue.
  • BMPR1A is a critical determinant of cell fate within the postnatal growth plate.

Keywords:
BMPR1ACell fateChondrogenesisEndochondral Bone.Growth plate

More Related Videos

A Rat Tibial Growth Plate Injury Model to Characterize Repair Mechanisms and Evaluate Growth Plate Regeneration Strategies06:53

A Rat Tibial Growth Plate Injury Model to Characterize Repair Mechanisms and Evaluate Growth Plate Regeneration Strategies

Published on: July 4, 2017

10.7K
Use of pHluorin to Assess the Dynamics of Axon Guidance Receptors in Cell Culture and in the Chick Embryo10:30

Use of pHluorin to Assess the Dynamics of Axon Guidance Receptors in Cell Culture and in the Chick Embryo

Published on: January 12, 2014

7.9K

Related Concept Videos

Receptor Downregulation in MVBs01:15

Receptor Downregulation in MVBs

Multivesicular bodies (MVBs) are mature endosomes that sort ubiquitinated proteins and then fuse with lysosomes to degrade the sorted proteins. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) form a complex that can be internalized through endocytosis, sorted into an MVB, and later degraded.
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that  lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR  stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive  EGFR...
2.0K
TGF - β Signaling Pathway01:16

TGF - β Signaling Pathway

The TGF-β signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, motility, and development. TGF-β ligands that induce TGF-β signaling are synthesized in their latent form. Several proteases or cell surface receptors such as integrins act upon the latent form, releasing the active ligand. There are three types of mammalian TGF-βs: (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) that bind as homodimers or heterodimers to TGF-β receptors. The TGF-β receptors...
7.2K
Determination01:51

Determination

During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In...
16.4K
Notch Signaling Pathway03:14

Notch Signaling Pathway

The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not...
4.6K
Notch Signaling Pathway03:14

Notch Signaling Pathway

4.9K
Cell Signaling in Plants01:25

Cell Signaling in Plants

Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...
4.6K