Tendon-Specific Activation of Tenogenic Transcription Factors Enables Keeping Tenocytes’ Identity In Vitro

We generated a novel tetracycline-inducible transgenic mouse line with the tendon-specific expression of a series of tendon-critical transcription factors. Primary tenocytes derived from this mouse line consistently expressed green fluorescent protein reporter transcription factors in response to do...

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Main Authors: Rui Chen, Thomas Skutella
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-11-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/22/14078
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author Rui Chen
Thomas Skutella
author_facet Rui Chen
Thomas Skutella
author_sort Rui Chen
collection DOAJ
description We generated a novel tetracycline-inducible transgenic mouse line with the tendon-specific expression of a series of tendon-critical transcription factors. Primary tenocytes derived from this mouse line consistently expressed green fluorescent protein reporter transcription factors in response to doxycycline. The tenocytes maintained their tendon cell properties for a longer time after the transient induction in the absence of growth factors and mechanical stress. Four key transcription factors for tendon development and the green fluorescent protein reporter were linked with different viral 2A self-cleaving peptides. They were expressed under the control of the tet-responsive element. In combination with the expression of BFP, which reports on the tendon-specific collagen I, and mScarlet, which reports on the tendon-specific transcription factor Scleraxis (Scx), we observed the more extended maintenance of the tendon cell identity of in vitro cultured tendon cells and Achilles tendon explants. This means that the Scleraxis bHLH transcription factor (Scx), mohawk homeobox (Mkx), early growth response 1 (Egr1) and early growth response 2 (Egr2) contributed to the maintenance of tenocytes’ identity in vitro, providing a new model for studying extracellular matrix alterations and identifying alternative biomaterials in vitro.
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spelling doaj.art-60b5e37426494161862340a2d3ead8bc2023-11-24T08:38:18ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672022-11-0123221407810.3390/ijms232214078Tendon-Specific Activation of Tenogenic Transcription Factors Enables Keeping Tenocytes’ Identity In VitroRui Chen0Thomas Skutella1Group for Regeneration and Reprogramming, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, GermanyGroup for Regeneration and Reprogramming, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, GermanyWe generated a novel tetracycline-inducible transgenic mouse line with the tendon-specific expression of a series of tendon-critical transcription factors. Primary tenocytes derived from this mouse line consistently expressed green fluorescent protein reporter transcription factors in response to doxycycline. The tenocytes maintained their tendon cell properties for a longer time after the transient induction in the absence of growth factors and mechanical stress. Four key transcription factors for tendon development and the green fluorescent protein reporter were linked with different viral 2A self-cleaving peptides. They were expressed under the control of the tet-responsive element. In combination with the expression of BFP, which reports on the tendon-specific collagen I, and mScarlet, which reports on the tendon-specific transcription factor Scleraxis (Scx), we observed the more extended maintenance of the tendon cell identity of in vitro cultured tendon cells and Achilles tendon explants. This means that the Scleraxis bHLH transcription factor (Scx), mohawk homeobox (Mkx), early growth response 1 (Egr1) and early growth response 2 (Egr2) contributed to the maintenance of tenocytes’ identity in vitro, providing a new model for studying extracellular matrix alterations and identifying alternative biomaterials in vitro.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/22/14078tendon tissue engineeringrepairanimal modeldecellularised extracellular matrixmechanical stimulation
spellingShingle Rui Chen
Thomas Skutella
Tendon-Specific Activation of Tenogenic Transcription Factors Enables Keeping Tenocytes’ Identity In Vitro
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
tendon tissue engineering
repair
animal model
decellularised extracellular matrix
mechanical stimulation
title Tendon-Specific Activation of Tenogenic Transcription Factors Enables Keeping Tenocytes’ Identity In Vitro
title_full Tendon-Specific Activation of Tenogenic Transcription Factors Enables Keeping Tenocytes’ Identity In Vitro
title_fullStr Tendon-Specific Activation of Tenogenic Transcription Factors Enables Keeping Tenocytes’ Identity In Vitro
title_full_unstemmed Tendon-Specific Activation of Tenogenic Transcription Factors Enables Keeping Tenocytes’ Identity In Vitro
title_short Tendon-Specific Activation of Tenogenic Transcription Factors Enables Keeping Tenocytes’ Identity In Vitro
title_sort tendon specific activation of tenogenic transcription factors enables keeping tenocytes identity in vitro
topic tendon tissue engineering
repair
animal model
decellularised extracellular matrix
mechanical stimulation
url https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/22/14078
work_keys_str_mv AT ruichen tendonspecificactivationoftenogenictranscriptionfactorsenableskeepingtenocytesidentityinvitro
AT thomasskutella tendonspecificactivationoftenogenictranscriptionfactorsenableskeepingtenocytesidentityinvitro