Reduced β-catenin expression affects patterning of bone primordia, but not bone maturation

Reduced β-catenin expression affects patterning of bone primordia, but not bone maturation

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is involved in patterning of bone primordia, but also plays an important role in the differentiation of chondrocytes and osteoblasts. During these processes the level of β-catenin must be tightly regulated. Excess β-catenin leads to conditions with increased bone mass, whereas loss of β-catenin is associated with osteoporosis or, in extreme cases, the absence of limbs. I...

Glucocerebrosidase deficiency in zebrafish affects primary bone ossification through increased oxidative stress and reduced Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Loss of lysosomal glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) function is responsible for several organ defects, including skeletal abnormalities in type 1 Gaucher disease (GD). Enhanced bone resorption by infiltrating macrophages has been proposed to lead to major bone defects. However, while more recent evidences support the hypothesis that osteoblastic bone formation is impaired, a clear pathogenetic mechanis...

Bone Canonical Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Models of Reduced Microgravity

STAT3 paradoxically stimulates β-catenin expression but inhibits β-catenin function

Wnt signalling and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) are oncogenic signalling pathways which are deregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC). Here we investigated the interaction of these two pathways. Firstly, we investigated biochemical interaction by inhibiting STAT3 and β-catenin (through gene knock-down and dominant-negative TCF4 expression) in nine CRC cell lines. ...

ATF4 Promotes β-Catenin Expression and Osteoblastic Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into multiple cell types including osteoblasts. How this differentiation process is controlled, however, is not completely understood. Here we show that activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) plays a critical role in promoting bone marrow MSC differentiation towards the osteoblast lineage. Ablation of the Atf4 gene blocked the format...