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Medicine and Health Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2014

All ETDs from UAB

Runx2

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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Regulatory Control Of Palatogenesis And Odontogenesis By Specificity Protein 7, John Christopher Clarke Jan 2014

Regulatory Control Of Palatogenesis And Odontogenesis By Specificity Protein 7, John Christopher Clarke

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Runx2 and its downstream target Specificity Protein 7 (Sp7) are essential for skeletogenesis. In humans, mutations in Sp7 gene are associated with osteogenesis imperfecta. Unlike Runx2, the role of Sp7 in palatogenesis, tooth development or differentiation of ameloblasts and odontoblasts remains unknown. The main goal of this research was to identify the functional requirement of Sp7 transcription factor during tooth development and palatogenesis. Molecular, biochemical, and histological approaches were employed to answer this question. We established Sp7-null mice that are completely void of mineralized tissue, exhibit craniofacial dysmorphogenesis and die shortly after birth. Surprisingly, Sp7 homozygous mutants exhibited normal tooth …


Molecular And Functional Interaction Of Runx2 And Sp7 For Development Of The Osteoblast Phenotype, Harunur Rashid Jan 2014

Molecular And Functional Interaction Of Runx2 And Sp7 For Development Of The Osteoblast Phenotype, Harunur Rashid

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Runx2 and Sp7 transcription factors are essential for skeletogenesis. Deletion of either gene in mice results in failure of bone tissue development. However, underlying mechanisms responsible for a surprisingly similar phenotype by two distinctly unrelated proteins remain unknown. Sp7 is a Runx2 downstream target gene and is not expressed in Runx2 null mice. Thus, the Runx2 null model represents a compound phenotype of loss of both proteins. In contrast, normal levels of Runx2 mRNA are noted in Sp7 null mice. The failure of Runx2 to promote bone formation in Sp7 null mice suggests that Sp7 is required for Runx2 function …


Protein O-Glcnac Modification In Diabetic Vascular Calcification, Jack Heath Jan 2014

Protein O-Glcnac Modification In Diabetic Vascular Calcification, Jack Heath

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Vascular calcification is prevalent in patients of diabetes mellitus, which represents an independent risk factor that positively correlated with morbidity and mortality in these patients. Vascular calcification is now recognized as a cell-regulated process of osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in response to stress, such as hyperglycemia and oxidative stress. Both hyperglycemia and oxidative stress have been shown to induce protein modification by O-linked ß-N-acetylglucosamine modification (O-GlcNAcylation), which is also elevated in diabetes. The present studies aimed to determine the effects of protein O-GlcNAcylation on vascular calcification in diabetes, and uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms. With the …


Osteoblast And Odontoblast Specific Regulatory Actions Of Runx2 For The Development Of Mineralized Tissues, Mitra Darice Adhami Jan 2014

Osteoblast And Odontoblast Specific Regulatory Actions Of Runx2 For The Development Of Mineralized Tissues, Mitra Darice Adhami

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The Runx2 transcription factor is necessary for commitment and differentiation of mesenchymal cells into the chondroblasts, osteoblasts and odontoblasts. Runx2 induces the expression of several key genes involved in mineralization of both the bone and dentin matrices. Global Runx2-null mice are completely void of mineralized tissue and do not express osteoblast markers, indicating that Runx2 is required for commitment to the osteoblast lineage. Tooth development in Runx2-null mice is arrested in the bell stage, prior to the differentiation of odontoblasts. Thus, Runx2 is essential for development of osteoblast and odontoblast lineages. However, the functional requirements of Runx2 after commitment to …