The regulation of sclerostin by cathepsin K in periodontal ligament cells.

Sclerostin is a clinically important protein with key functions in the musculoskeletal system playing a key role in bone formation and remodelling. Whilst a wide range of mechanisms have been identified which regulate sclerostin expression, little is known about the degradation of the protein. The aim of this study was to identify enzymes capable of degrading sclerostin in peridontal ligament (PDL) fibroblasts cells in vitro and to investigate the functionality of these enzymes.

Ionic solutes impact collagen scaffold bioactivity.

The structure of ice-templated collagen scaffolds is sensitive to many factors. By adding 0.5 wt% of sodium chloride or sucrose to collagen slurries, scaffold structure could be tuned through changes in ice growth kinetics and interactions of the solute and collagen.

The effects of scaffold architecture and fibrin gel addition on tendon cell phenotype.

Development of tissue engineering scaffolds relies on careful selection of pore architecture and chemistry of the cellular environment. Repair of skeletal soft tissue, such as tendon, is particularly challenging, since these tissues have a relatively poor healing response. When removed from their native environment, tendon cells (tenocytes) lose their characteristic morphology and the expression of phenotypic markers.

Type II collagen deposition in cruciate ligament precedes osteoarthritis in the guinea pig knee.

Objective: To examine the collagens in cruciate ligaments of young Dunkin-Hartley guinea pigs, to determine whether a change in specific collagen types is an early feature of the spontaneous osteoarthritis (OA), which consistently develops in the medial compartment of the knee in this strain.

Design: Collagen types I, II, III, IX, and XI were detected by immunofluorescence microscopy in the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments of animals at 3, 4-5 and 12 weeks of age. Type II collagen in PCL was further analysed by confocal microscopy or biochemical assay after cyanogen bromide digestion, SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting.

Up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase expression and activation following cyclical compressive loading of articular cartilage in vitro.

Osteoarthritis (OA) results in articular cartilage degeneration and subchondral bone remodeling. Excessive or abnormal loading of the joint may contribute to matrix destruction by creating an imbalance between proteinases and their inhibitors. This study investigates whether cyclical loading regulates expression and/or activation of metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMPs) in articular cartilage explants.

Collagen expression in chicken tibial dyschondroplasia.

Collagen expression in growth plate cartilage derived from broiler chickens with tibial dyschondroplasia was studied and compared with samples from unaffected birds. Normal growth plate contains 12% collagen (dry weight) and dyschondroplastic growth plate 19% collagen compared with articular cartilage, which contains 55%. Dyschondroplastic growth plate collagens were more resistant to extraction by pepsin treatment than were those from unaffected growth plate.

Differential scanning calorimetric studies of superficial digital flexor tendon degeneration in the horse.

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of equine superficial digital flexor tendons revealed the presence of a small exothermic peak at 23 degrees C of unknown origin, and a large endothermic peak at 70 degrees C due to denaturation of cross-linked collagen fibres. In the central degenerated core of damaged tendons the denaturation temperature remained at 70 degrees C but the enthalpy decreased in relation to the extent of degeneration of the tendon. We suggest that this reduction in enthalpy is due to depolymerisation and denaturation of the collagen fibres.

Characterisation of articular and growth plate cartilage collagens in porcine osteochondrosis.

The articular and growth plate cartilages of osteochondrotic pigs were examined and compared with those from clinically normal animals. Both types of osteochondrotic cartilage showed considerable localised thickening apparently due to a lack of ossification. Histological examination of cartilage lesions demonstrated a breakdown in the normal pattern of chondrocyte maturation.

Quantification and immunolocalisation of porcine articular and growth plate cartilage collagens.

The collagens of growth plate and articular cartilage from 5-6 month old commercial pigs were characterised. Growth plate cartilage was found to contain less total collagen than articular cartilage as a proportion of the dry weight. Collagen types I, II, VI, IX and XI are present in both growth plate and articular cartilage whereas type X is found exclusively in growth plate cartilage.

The application of scanning confocal microscopy in cartilage research.

Scanning confocal microscopy has been used in conjunction with immunofluorescent localization to address two areas of debate in cartilage research. With the enhanced resolution and optical sectioning capability of this new technique, we have demonstrated that type IX collagen is preferentially located in an area around the chondrocyte, even in young cartilage. We have also shown that cathepsin B production is not confined to de-differentiated chondrocytes.

Monoclonal antibody sandwich ELISA for the potential detection of chicken meat in mixtures of raw beef and pork.

A sandwich ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) has been developed successfully for the detection of defined amounts of chicken meat (1-100%) in beef and pork meat mixtures. The assay uses a monoclonal antibody (BC9) specific to a chicken muscle soluble protein to capture this protein from complex meat mixtures. Further immunorecognition of the captured protein was attained with rabbit polyclonal antibodies against chicken muscle proteins (anti-CHSP).

Immunodetection of cathepsins B and L present in and secreted from human pre-malignant and malignant colorectal tumour cell lines.

Pre-malignant and malignant human colorectal tumour epithelial cell lines both secreted precursor forms of the 2 cysteine proteinases, cathepsins B and L. The amount of proteinases secreted by these cell lines varied according to the cell density. Comparison at similar cell densities showed that the pre-malignant, adenoma-derived cell line (PC/AA) secreted as much, or more, of both cathepsin B and L precursors as did the malignant, carcinoma-derived cell line (PC/JW/FI).

Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies specific to chicken muscle soluble proteins.

Three stable hybridoma cell lines (AH4, BC9 and CF2) have been produced which secrete monoclonal antibodies specific for chicken and turkey muscle proteins. Partial characterization by ELISA and SDS-PAGE immunoblotting indicated that the antibodies failed to cross-react with similar extracts of pork, beef, lamb, horse or rabbit. One of the cell lines (AH4) secreted a monoclonal antibody that was also capable of distinguishing between chicken and turkey by indirect ELISA.

Monoclonal antibodies to rabbit liver cathepsin B.

Three stable hybridoma cell lines (AF8, BC11, CE2) have been produced that secrete antibodies specific for cathepsin B. These have been characterized by ELISA, SDS-PAGE immunostaining, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescent staining. CE2 immunoprecipitated native cathepsin B with retention of enzymic activity, but failed to cross-react with the alkali-denatured enzyme.

Production of a monospecific antiserum to cathepsin L: the histochemical location of enzyme in rabbit fibroblasts.

A polyclonal antibody against rabbit cathepsin L was raised in goats and shown to be specific for both active and inactive enzyme. Using this antibody we have examined the distribution of cathepsin L in primary rabbit skin fibroblasts by immunohistochemistry and found that all the enzyme is located within lysosomal granules. At confluence many cathepsin-L-containing lysosomes were seen in each cell.

The mononuclear cell population in rat leg muscle: its contribution to the lysosomal enzyme activities of whole muscle extracts.

The mononuclear cell fraction of rat hind-limb muscle was obtained by digestion with clostridial collagenase in the presence of calcium ions, filtration through nylon screens and washing to remove the enzyme. Final traces of contaminant myofibrillar debris were separated by isopycnic centrifugation in a Percoll density gradient. Whole muscle, washed cells and Percoll-fractionated cells were extracted in the presence of non-ionic detergent and the supernatants assayed for the lysosomal enzymes cathepsins B + L, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase and protein.