Abstract
Little is known about the regulatory signals involved in tendon and ligament formation, and this lack of understanding has hindered attempts to develop biologically based therapies for tendon and ligament repair. Here we report that growth and differentiation factors (GDFs) 5, 6, and 7, members of the TGF-beta gene superfamily that are most related to the bone morphogenetic proteins, induce neotendon/ligament formation when implanted at ectopic sites in vivo. Analysis of tissue induced by GDF-5, 6, or 7, containing implants by currently available morphological and molecular criteria used to characterize tendon and ligament, adds further evidence to the idea that these GDFs act as signaling molecules during embryonic tendon/ligament formation. In addition, comparative in situ localizations of the GDF-5, 6, and 7 mRNAs suggest that these molecules are important regulatory components of synovial joint morphogenesis.
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2
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Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / metabolism
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Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / pharmacology
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Cell Differentiation / physiology
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Cloning, Molecular
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Decorin
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Elastin / analysis
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Extracellular Matrix Proteins
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Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / genetics
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Growth Differentiation Factor 5
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Growth Differentiation Factor 6
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Growth Differentiation Factors
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Growth Substances / genetics
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Growth Substances / pharmacology*
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Histocytochemistry
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Humans
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In Situ Hybridization
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Joints / growth & development
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Ligaments / cytology
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Ligaments / growth & development*
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Ligaments / transplantation
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Mice
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Proteoglycans / analysis
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RNA, Messenger / analysis
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RNA, Messenger / genetics
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Rats
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Recombinant Proteins / genetics
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Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
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Tendons / cytology
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Tendons / growth & development*
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Tendons / transplantation
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Transforming Growth Factor beta / genetics
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Transforming Growth Factor beta / pharmacology
Substances
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BMP2 protein, human
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Bmp2 protein, mouse
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Bmp2 protein, rat
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Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2
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Bone Morphogenetic Proteins
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DCN protein, human
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Dcn protein, mouse
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Dcn protein, rat
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Decorin
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Extracellular Matrix Proteins
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GDF5 protein, human
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GDF6 protein, human
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GDF7 protein, human
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Gdf5 protein, mouse
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Gdf6 protein, mouse
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Gdf6 protein, rat
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Gdf7 protein, mouse
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Gdf7 protein, rat
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Growth Differentiation Factor 5
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Growth Differentiation Factor 6
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Growth Differentiation Factors
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Growth Substances
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Proteoglycans
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RNA, Messenger
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Recombinant Proteins
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Transforming Growth Factor beta
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growth differentiation factor 7
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recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2
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Elastin