The transition of cadherin expression in osteoblast differentiation from mesenchymal cells: Consistent expression of cadherin-11 in osteoblast lineage

Osteoblasts are derived originally from pluripotent mesenchymal stem cells on migration into the bone matrix, To elucidate the contribution of classic al cadherins in this differentiation pathway, we developed a new protocol f or their analysis and studied their specific expressions in various cell li nes of the mesenchymal lineage, including osteoblasts. N-cadherin was expre ssed constitutively in all cell lines examined except an osteocyte-like cel l line whereas cadherin-11 was expressed selectively in preosteoblast and p readipocyte cell lines. P-cadherin also was expressed in primary cultures o f calvarial cells and mature osteoblasts at a relatively low level compared with N-cadherin and cadherin-11. M-cadherin was expressed only in a premyo blast cell line. We observed the transition of cadherin expression from M-c adherin to cadherin-11 in the premyoblast cell line when osteogenic differe ntiation was induced by treatment with bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) , while the expression of N-cadherin remained unchanged. In contrast, when a preadipocyte cell line, which shows a similar pattern of cadherin express ion to osteoblasts, was induced to undergo adipogenic differentiation, the expression of N-cadherin and cadherin-11 was decreased. These observations characterize the cadherin expression profile of mesenchymal lineage cells, especially osteoblasts, which regularly express cadherin-11. Cadherin-11 ma y affect cell sorting, alignment, and separation through differentiation.