PMID:17707622

Citation	Tagariello, A, Luther, J, Streiter, M, Didt-Koziel, L, Wuelling, M, Surmann-Schmitt, C, Stock, M, Adam, N, Vortkamp, A and Winterpacht, A (2008) Ucma--A novel secreted factor represents a highly specific marker for distal chondrocytes. Matrix Biol. 27:3-11
Abstract	Growth and development of most parts of the vertebrate skeleton takes place by endochondral ossification, a process during which chondrocytes undergo distinct stages of differentiation resulting in a successive replacement of the cartilage anlagen by bone. In the context of an EST project we isolated a novel transcript from a human fetal growth plate cartilage cDNA library. The transcript which we called Ucma (unique cartilage matrix-associated protein) encodes a short protein of 138 amino acids. The protein sequence is evolutionary conserved throughout vertebrates and comprises a signal peptide, a coiled-coil domain, and a putative dibasic cleavage site for proprotein convertases. Using RNA in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry with a polyclonal anti-Ucma antibody we found high expression of Ucma uniquely in distal (resting) chondrocytes in developing long bones of wildtype mice. This restricted expression could also be observed in Ihh(-/-), Ihh(-/-); Gli3(-/-), Gli3(-/-) mice, and in mice that overexpress Ihh under the control of the Col2a1 promoter indicating that expression of Ucma is regulated independent of hedgehog signaling. During insulin-induced differentiation of ATDC5 cells we found gradual increase of Ucma expression at day 21 with a maximum at day 24 and a decrease correlating with a simultaneous increase in the expression of cartilage link protein (Crtl1), a protein with maximum expression in column-forming proliferating chondrocytes. The present data strongly suggest an important function of Ucma in the early phase of chondrocyte differentiation.
Links	PubMed Online version:10.1016/j.matbio.2007.07.004
Keywords	Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Biological Markers/metabolism; Cartilage, Articular/cytology; Cartilage, Articular/physiology; Cell Differentiation/physiology; Cell Line; Chondrocytes/chemistry; Chondrocytes/cytology; Chondrocytes/physiology; Chondrogenesis/physiology; Extremities/anatomy & histology; Extremities/embryology; Extremities/physiology; Fetus/anatomy & histology; Growth Plate/cytology; Hedgehog Proteins/genetics; Hedgehog Proteins/metabolism; Humans; In Situ Hybridization; Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors/genetics; Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors/metabolism; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Molecular Sequence Data; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism; Proteins/genetics; Proteins/metabolism; Sequence Alignment
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