OSTEOCALCIN (BGP), GENE-EXPRESSION, AND PROTEIN-PRODUCTION BY MARROW STROMAL ADIPOCYTES

This study was designed to demonstrate the expression and production o f osteocalcin, a bone Gla-protein (BGP), by marrow stromal cells. We w ere able to accomplish this by using a series of marrow stromal cell l ines (MBA cells). A unique expression of the osteocalcin was detected by the adipocyte 14F1.1 cells. This was at the mRNA level by Northern blot and by RT-PCR analysis. The secreted protein was quantitated by r adioimmunoassay (RIA), in conditioned medium (CM) harvested from these cultured cells. These findings offer the first evidence that marrow a dipocyte 14F1.1 derived cells express mRNA for osteocalcin and produce the protein. (C) 1997 Academic Press.