Normal long bone growth and development in type X collagen-null mice

• Published in: Nature genetics Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. 129 - 135
• Main Authors: Rosati, Rita, Horan, Gerald S. B, Pinero, Gerald J, Garofalo, Silvio, Keene, Douglas R, Horton, William A, Vuorio, Eero, de Crombrugghe, Benoit, Behringer, Richard R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group 01-10-1994
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Animals, Suckling; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Development - genetics; Cartilage - physiology; Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids; Collagen - classification; Collagen - deficiency; Collagen - genetics; Extracellular Matrix - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Growth Plate - chemistry; Growth Plate - ultrastructure; Humans; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Mice, Transgenic; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutagenesis, Insertional; Osteocalcin; Osteogenesis - genetics; Osteopontin; Sialoglycoproteins; Stem Cells; Vertebrata; Animal model; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Collagen; Rodentia; Silent allele; Development; Glycoproteins; Skeleton; Mutation; Long bone
• ISSN: 1061-4036; 1546-1718
• DOI: 10.1038/ng1094-129

To investigate the role of type X collagen in skeletal development, we have generated type X collagen-null mice. Surprisingly, mice without type X collagen were viable and fertile and had no gross abnormalities in long bone growth or development. No differences were detected between the type X collagen-null mice and controls when growth plates of both newborn and 3-week old mice were examined by histology and by immunostaining for extracellular matrix components of bone including osteopontin, osteocalcin and type II collagen. Our results suggest that type X collagen is not required for long bone development. However, mice and humans with dominant acting type X collagen mutations have bone abnormalities, suggesting that only the presence of abnormal type X collagen can modify bone growth and development.