Cancer cells exhibit modifications in nuclear architecture and transcriptional control. Tumor growth and metastasis are supported by RUNX family transcriptional scaffolding proteins, which mediate the assembly of nuclear-matrix-associated gene-regulatory hubs. We used proteomic analysis to identify RUNX2-dependent protein-protein interactions associated with the nuclear matrix in bone, breast a...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of 1,25(OH)2D3/vitamin D receptor (VDR) and calcium on the expression levels of osteogenic factors in primary renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) using genetic hypercalciuric rats. The basal levels of osteogenic factors were detected in Sprague Dawley and genetic hypercalciuric rats. The gene and protein levels of bone morphogenetic ...

Members of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family of transcription factors regulate the specification and differentiation of numerous cell types during embryonic development. Hand1 and Hand2 are expressed by a subset of neural crest cells in the anterior branchial arches and are involved in craniofacial development. However, the precise mechanisms by which Hand proteins mediate biological act...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Tendinopathy is a common sports injury that is manifested by the heterotopic ossification of tendon tissue. Tendon stem cells (TSCs) are prone to osteogenic differentiation under excessive tension. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. METHODS Uniaxial mechanical tension (UMT) served to stretch rat tendon-derived stem cells (rTDSCs) at 8% elongation (frequency: 1...

Transcription factor Runx2 controls bone development and osteoblast differentiation by regulating expression of a significant number of bone-related target genes. Here, we report that transcriptional activation and repression of the Runx2 gene via its osteoblast-specific P1 promoter (encoding mRNA for the Runx2/p57 isoform) is accompanied by selective deposition and elimination of histone marks...

The tumor suppressor gene RASSF1A is inactivated through point mutation or promoter hypermethylation in many human cancers. In this study, we conducted a Sleeping Beauty transposon-mediated insertional mutagenesis screen in Rassf1a-null mice to identify candidate genes that collaborate with loss of Rassf1a in tumorigenesis. We identified 10 genes, including the transcription factor Runx2, a tra...

The tumor suppressor gene RASSF1A is inactivated through point mutation or promoter hypermethylation in many human cancers. In this study, we conducted a Sleeping Beauty transposon-mediated insertional mutagenesis screen in Rassf1a-null mice to identify candidate genes that collaborate with loss of Rassf1a in tumorigenesis. We identified 10 genes, including the transcription factor Runx2, a tra...

Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) is a dominantly inherited skeletal dysplasia caused by mutations in the osteoblast-specific transcription factor-encoding gene, RUNX2. To correlate different RUNX2 mutations with CCD clinical spectrum, we studied six independent Chinese CCD patients. In five patients, mutations were detected in the coding region of the RUNX2 gene, including two frameshift mutations...

Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD), a skeletal disorder characterized by delayed permanent tooth eruption and other dental abnormalities, is caused by heterozygous RUNX2 mutations. As an osteoblast-specific transcription factor, RUNX2 plays a role in bone remodeling, tooth formation and tooth eruption. To investigate the crosstalk between RUNX2 and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α,25-(OH)2D3) in human ...

Receptor tyrosine kinases-based autocrine loops largely contribute to activate the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways in melanoma. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in generating these autocrine loops are still largely unknown. In the present study, we examine the role of the transcription factor RUNX2 in the regulation of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) expression in melanoma. We have demonstr...