Separation of osteoblast-like cells from bone marrow by fluorescence-activated cell sorting

The purification of the osteoblast-like cells (2-3%) among the bone marrow cells (BMC) of C57BL/6 mice using a specific anti-osteoblast serum and a fluorescence-activated cell sorter is described. The antiserum was raised against osteoblast cells isolated from calvaria from neonatal mice. The majority of the cells of the osteoblast-enriched fraction from bone marrow showed a parathormone-induced increase in cyclic adenine monophosphate but no response to calcitonin. This is similar to the response of osteoblast cells obtained from the calvaria. Electron microscopic studies of the extracellular matrix of cultured osteoblast-like cells purified from bone marrow showed the deposition of apatite crystals within and in close apposition to the vesicles. These findings suggest that the isolated cell population was enriched in osteoblasts. Such a cell system from bone marrow might provide an experimental system for investigating the mechanism of bone formation.