In vitro induction of osteogenic differentiation from non-osteogenic mesenchymal cells.

The process of ectopic bone formation suggests that extraskeletal cells are capable of osteogenesis. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity is considered to be an early marker of osteogenic differentiation. This study determined whether cells from the rabbit dermis, striated muscle and extramedullary adipose tissue could undergo osteogenic differentiation in vitro.

Betaine use by rhizosphere bacteria: genes essential for trigonelline, stachydrine, and carnitine catabolism in Rhizobium meliloti are located on pSym in the symbiotic region.

Rhizobium meliloti is known to use betaines synthesized by its host, Medicago sativa, as osmoprotectants and sources of energy. It is shown in the present report that the symbiotic megaplasmid (pSym) of R. meliloti RCR2011 encodes functions essential to the catabolism of three betaines, trigonelline (nicotinic acid N-methylbetaine), stachydrine (proline betaine or dimethylproline), and carnitine (gamma-trimethyl-beta-hydroxybutyrobetaine).