Bcl-xL mutant promotes cartilage differentiation of BMSCs by upregulating TGF-β/BMP expression levels

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Bcl-xL mutant promotes cartilage differentiation of BMSCs by upregulating TGF-β/BMP expression levels Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jul;22(1):736. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10168. Epub 2021 May 9. ABSTRACT Bcl-xL is a transmembrane molecule in the mitochondria, with apoptosis-related and pro-metabolic functions, that also plays a role in chondrogenesis and differentiation. A Bcl-xL mutant, in which the GRI sequence is replaced by ELN, has no anti-apoptotic effect, while other biological functions of this mutant remain unchanged. The present study investigated the impact of this Bcl-xL mutant on cartilage differentiation and the expression levels of TGF-β and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP). Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were transfected with Bcl-xL and Bcl-xL mutant (∆Bcl-xL) overexpression vectors. The cells were divided into four groups: Control (not subjected to any transfection), EV (empty pcDNA3.1-Bcl-xL vector), OV (Bcl-xL overexpression) and ∆OV (∆Bcl-xL overexpression). Saffron and toluidine blue staining was perfor med to observe cartilage tissue formation. Flow cytometry was conducted to measure BMSC apoptosis. The expression levels of TGF-β and BMP were evaluated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blotting. Compared with that in the control group, the expression levels of Bcl-xL in the OV group increased significantly (P<0.05). Western blotting and RT-qPCR results revealed that OV and ∆OV treatment increased the expression levels of TGF-β and BMP in transfected cells, compared to their expression in the control and EV groups (P<0.05). Saffron and toluidine blue staining results showed that cartilage formation was increased in the ∆OV and ∆OV + Bax-/Bak-groups to similar degrees. Cell apoptosis in the ∆OV group did not change compared with that in the control group. The Bcl-xL mutant promoted cartilage differentiation of BMSCs and upregulated TGF-β/BMP expression. This enhancement of chondrogenic differentiation was not related to the expressio n of Bax and Bak. Taken together, these findings provided for improved application of bone tissue engineering technology in the treatment of articular cartilage defects. PMID:34055053 | PMC:PMC8138271 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10168 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.