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Mechanism of mineral formation in bone.

The mechanism of mineral formation in bone is seen best where active new bone formation is occurring, e.g., in newly forming subperiosteal bone of the embryo, in the growing bone of young animals, and in healing rickets where the calcification process in osteoid is reactivated. A large body of ultrastructural evidence, using conventional and anhydrous methods for tissue preparation, has shown convincingly that extracellular matrix vesicles are present at or near the mineralization front in all of the above, and that these vesicles are the initial site of apatite mineral deposition. Thus bone resembles growth plate cartilage, predentin, and turkey tendon in having calcification initiated by matrix vesicles. Once the calcification cascade is begun, matrix vesicles are no longer needed to support mineralization and are consumed by the advancing mineralization front in which performed crystals serve as nuclei for the formation of new crystals. The rate of crystal proliferation is promoted by the availability of Ca2+, PO4(3-), and the presence of collagen, and retarded by naturally occurring inhibitors of mineralization such as proteoglycans and several noncollagenous calcium-binding proteins of bone including bone-Gla protein (osteocalcin), phosphoproteins, osteonectin, and alpha-2HS-glycoproteins. New electron microscopic immunocytochemical findings in our laboratory suggest that the origin of alkaline phosphatase-positive bone matrix vesicles is polarized to the mineral-facing side of osteoblasts and may be concentrated near the intercellular junctions of human embryonic osteoblasts.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibits 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-stimulated bone Gla protein synthesis in rat osteosarcoma cells (ROS 17/2.8) by a pretranslational mechanism.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), a 17,000 mol wt protein, mediates a variety of immunological and inflammatory events. TNF alpha is a potent inhibitor of bone collagen synthesis and stimulator of osteoclastic bone resorption, the net effect of which is to cause bone loss. We have previously reported that TNF alpha inhibits the synthesis of collagen by osteoblastic cells in culture out of proportion to effects on total protein synthesis, suggesting that inhibition of bone formation by TNF alpha may be due to selective inhibition of matrix protein synthesis. To further test this hypothesis and to evaluate the mechanism of TNF alpha action, we studied the effect of TNF alpha on synthesis of the osteoblast-specific bone Gla protein (BGP) by ROS 17/2.8 cells, which have the osteoblast phenotype. Cells were cultured with 10 nM 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 to stimulate BGP secretion, followed by the addition of TNF alpha (1-100 ng/ml) in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-containing medium. TNF alpha (10 ng/ml) inhibited BGP secretion to 42 +/- 5%, 19 +/- 10%, and 15 +/- 3% of control values after 24, 48, and 72 h of treatment. After 48 h, inhibition of BGP secretion was observed with 2 ng/ml TNF alpha and was maximum with 100 ng/ml. To determine the effect of TNF alpha on total protein synthesis, cells were pulse labeled with [14C]leucine during the last 4 h of TNF alpha treatment, and incorporation of radioactivity into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable protein in cell layer and medium was determined. The TNF alpha inhibition of BGP secretion was independent of changes in [14C]leucine incorporation, suggesting that TNF alpha did not have a general inhibitory effect on total protein synthesis. Cell number was not affected by TNF alpha. Northern analysis of steady state BGP mRNA revealed a dose-dependent decrease in the BGP/cyclophilin mRNA hybridization signal intensity after 24 h of treatment. The maximum inhibitory effect was 41 +/- 5% of the control value with 100 ng/ml TNF alpha. The effect of TNF alpha on steady state BGP mRNA levels was not prevented by treatment of cells with cycloheximide, suggesting that TNF-induced new protein synthesis was not required for TNF alpha action. These results suggest that the mechanism of TNF alpha inhibition of BGP synthesis includes a pretranslational site and support the hypothesis that TNF alpha inhibits bone formation by a selective inhibition of matrix protein production.

Animals↗

Osteonectin and Gla-protein in calf bone: ultrastructural immunohistochemical localization using the Protein A-gold method.

Osteonectin and bone Gla-protein have been localized at the ultrastructural level in calf scapula bone tissue. Post-embedding-decalcified thin sections of paraformaldehyde-fixed and Araldite-embedded specimens of calf scapula were incubated with rabbit antisera to bovine osteonectin and bone Gla-protein, and the sites of antigen-antibody reaction were demonstrated using the Protein A-gold technique. Specific labelling of the bone matrix was obtained with both antisera. The collagen fibers were labelled particularly intensely. Filamentous structures visible at the sites of early mineralization were labelled by rows of gold particles after incubation with anti-osteonectin antiserum. These findings are consistent with biochemical data available on the localization and properties of these non- collagenous proteins. 'Crystal ghost'-like structures are immunoreactive to anti-osteonectin antiserum.

Animals↗

Dystrophic calcification and mineralization during bone induction: biochemical differences.

The calcification of implants of glutaraldehyde-crosslinked collagenous tissues and collagen was studied in young and old rats and compared to bone induction by non-crosslinked osteogenically active demineralized bone matrix (DBM). Glutaraldehyde-crosslinked implants of DBM, tendon, and cartilage calcified in young but not in old animals and accumulated only trace amounts of BGP (Bone Gla protein, osteocalcin). Alkaline phosphatase activity was high in implants of DBM and undetectable in crosslinked implants. To try and understand why bone formation is so significantly reduced in older Fischer-344 rats, we developed a system which consists of cylinders of DBM sealed at the ends with a Millipore filter. Cells originating from 20-day-old embryo donors were introduced into the chambers prior to subcutaneous implantation. After 4 weeks of implantation in 26-month-old rats, the cylinders containing embryonic calvaria or muscle calls were found to be full of bone and/or cartilage.

Age Factors↗

Dystrophic calcification and mineralization during bone induction: biochemical differences.

The calcification of implants of glutaraldehyde-cross linked collagenous tissues and collagen was studied in young and old rats and compared to bone induction by non-crosslinked osteogenically active demineralized bone matrix (DBM). Glutaraldehyde-crosslinked implants of DBM, tendon, and cartilage calcified in young but not in old animals and accumulated only trace amounts of BGP (Bone Gla protein, osteocalcin). Alkaline phosphatase activity and BGP was high in implants of DBM and undetectable in crosslinked implants. To try and understand why bone formation is so significantly reduced in older Fischer 344 rats, we developed a system which consists of cylinders of DBM sealed at the ends with a Millipore filter. Cells originating from 20 day old embryo donors were introduced into the chambers prior to subcutaneousmplantation. After 4 weeks of implantation in 26 month old rats, the cylinders containing embryonic calvaria or muscle cells were found to be full of bone and/or cartilage.

Animals↗

Urinary gamma-carboxyglutamic acid and serum osteocalcin as bone markers: studies in osteoporosis and Paget's disease.

Osteocalcin is a major bone matrix protein with high affinity for hydroxyapatite. This property is conferred by several residues of the calcium-binding amino acid gamma-carboxyglutamate (Gla), which requires vitamin K for its biosynthesis. Because this protein may play a role in the local control of calcium deposition or removal in mineralized tissue, we measured circulating osteocalcin levels and urinary excretion of its breakdown product, Gla, in patients with osteoporosis and Paget's disease. Studies were conducted either on a metabolic ward or in ambulatory patients. Diagnoses were established by clinical and laboratory findings, and were confirmed by histological examination in 19 of 26 patients with osteoporosis. Mean urinary Gla excretion was increased (P less than 0.001) in patients with osteoporosis by 50% above the normal mean; serum osteocalcin, however, was not significantly different from normal. In Paget's disease patients, this pattern was reversed; serum osteocalcin levels were increased 3-fold (P less than 0.001), while urinary Gla excretion was consistently normal, regardless of the extent or activity of the disease. These data demonstrate that measurements of urinary Gla and serum osteocalcin may provide important insights into the metabolic derangements in these and other bone disorders.

1-Carboxyglutamic Acid↗

Inhibition of hydroxyapatite crystal growth by bone-specific and other calcium-binding proteins.

Mineralization of bone matrix may be influenced by the presence of specific, noncollagenous bone proteins. The quantitative influence of two bone-specific proteins--bone gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) protein and osteonectin--and other proteins that decreased the rate of crystal growth was measured by adding seed crystals of hydroxyapatite to a solution of CaCl2 and KH2PO4, pH 7.4 at 37 degrees C. The molar concentrations of proteins needed to inhibit the rate of crystal growth by 50% were as follows: osteonectin, 0.15 microM; bone Gla protein, 0.8 microM; prothrombin, 0.9 microM; prothrombin fragment 1, 1.0 microM; soybean trypsin inhibitor, 3 microM; prethrombin 1, 9 microM; cytochrome c, 30 microM. Calmodulin and parvalbumin were found to be less active than prothrombin fragment 1 and had no activity in the micromolar range. The combination of two inhibitors resulted in a mixture with an inhibitory activity that was the sum of the two inhibitors. Decarboxylation of bone Gla protein significantly reduced its inhibitory activity. These results indicate that the inhibitory activity of a protein does not correlate with Ca2+-binding affinity under these conditions, that the mixture of inhibitors has an additive effect, and that gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues enhance the ability of a protein to inhibit hydroxyapatite-seeded crystal growth.

Animals↗

Osteocalcin: the vitamin K-dependent Ca2+-binding protein of bone matrix.

Osteocalcin is an abundant Ca2+-binding protein indigenous to the organic matrix of bone, dentin, and possibly other mineralized tissues. This protein contains 47-50 amino acid residues (molecular weight 5,200-5,900) depending on the species. Osteocalcin is distinguished by its content of three gamma-carboxyglutamic (Gla) residues. The vitamin-K-dependent biosynthesis of osteocalcin occurs in bone, and the protein is not homologous to the Gla-containing regions of known vitamin-K-dependent blood coagulation proteins. The two major structural features of osteocalcin which appear to control its function include: the 'Gla helix', a compact Ca2+-dependent alpha-helical conformation, in which the three Gla residues are aligned to facilitate adsorption to hydroxyapatite, and the 'COOH-terminal beta-sheet' which exhibits chemoattractant activity toward mononuclear leukocytes, specifically monocytes, the putative precursors of osteoclasts. While the biological function of osteocalcin is unknown, it appears to be a highly specific osteoblastic marker produced during bone formation, and is rapidly becoming a clinically important diagnostic parameter of bone pathology. This article reviews recent advances in the understanding of osteocalcin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Vitamin K and bone health.

Vitamin K, originally recognised as a factor required for normal blood coagulation, is now receiving more attention in relation to its role in bone metabolism. Vitamin K is a coenzyme for glutamate carboxylase, which mediates the conversion of glutamate to gamma-carboxyglutamate (Gla). Gla residues attract Ca2+ and incorporate these ions into the hydroxyapatite crystals. There are at least three Gla proteins associated with bone tissue, of which osteocalcin is the most abundant and best known. Osteocalcin is the major non-collagenous protein incorporated in bone matrix during bone formation. However, approximately 30% of the newly-produced osteocalcin stays in the circulation where it may be used as an indicator of bone formation. Vitamin K deficiency results in an increase in undercarboxylated osteocalcin, a protein with low biological activity. Several studies have demonstrated that low dietary vitamin K intake is associated with low bone mineral density or increased fractures. Additionally, vitamin K supplementation has been shown to reduce undercarboxylated osteocalcin and improve the bone turnover profile. Some studies have indicated that high levels of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (as a result of low vitamin K intake?) are associated with low bone mineral density and increased hip fracture. The current dietary recommendation for vitamin K is 1 microg/kg body weight per d, based on saturation of the coagulation system. The daily dietary vitamin K intake is estimated to be in the range 124-375 microg/d in a European population. Thus, a deficiency based on the hepatic coagulation system would be unusual, but recent data suggest that the requirement in relation to bone health might be higher.

Bone Density↗

The effect of aging on bone formation in rats: biochemical and histological evidence for decreased bone formation capacity.

Ectopic bone formation by subcutaneously implanted demineralized bone matrix powder (DBM) was assessed biochemically and histologically in Fischer 344 rats of different ages. The total calcium accumulated in implants was greatly depressed in older rats, as was the rate of 45Ca deposition. High alkaline phosphatase activity appeared later in the 10- and 16-month-old rats compared with 1-month-old rats, and the magnitude of the alkaline phosphatase activity was decreased in 16-month-old rats. The accumulation of the bone-specific vitamin K-dependent bone protein (bone gla protein, BGP) was decreased in the implants in older rats. Histological examination of the implants confirms the decreased ability of aged animals to produce bone in response to DBM. Measurements of total calcium, alkaline phosphatase, and BGP at the site of demineralized bone matrix implants clearly demonstrates that bone formation decreases dramatically with increasing age. Significant differences in total calcium can be detected even between 1-month-old and 3-month-old rats. Serum BGP shows a marked decrease (47%) between 1-month- and 3-month-old rats, a decrease not paralleled by a similar decrease in BGP present in calvarial or tibial bone.

Aging↗

In vitro degradation of bone particles by human monocytes is decreased with the depletion of the vitamin K-dependent bone protein from the matrix.

The bone vitamin K-dependent protein osteocalcin has been suggested to play a role in bone resorption. By administering sodium warfarin to rats, it is possible to inhibit the vitamin K-dependent addition of the their gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues to osteocalcin. This results in reduced amounts of osteocalcin bone, probably because devoid of the calcium-binding Gla residues, the protein no longer accumulates in bone. Preparations of bone obtained from rats treated with sodium warfarin for 6 weeks contained only 0.2% of normal levels of osteocalcin and were 90% reduced in the concentration of Gla. This bone could not be degraded by human monocytes in vitro as well as control bone (only 54% of control; P less than 0.003). Defects in the movement of cells to the bone were documented by phase contrast microscopy. Only 60% as many monocytes attached to the osteocalcin-depleted bone as to control bone in an in vitro attachment assay. These effects do not appear to be related to direct cellular toxicity. The degradation of bone in this in vitro system appears to be dependent on the osteocalcin content in matrix. This may result from defective movement of cells to bone and/or attachment to the bone.

Animals↗

Calcification of osteoblastlike rat osteosarcoma cells in agarose suspension cultures.

Ros 17/2 clonal rat osteosarcoma cells calcify when cultured in the presence of 10 micrograms/ml beta-glycerol phosphate in an agarose gel. Culture in 1% agarose inhibited cell division while allowing cells to remain metabolically active and viable for over 21 days. Serial photography of the same microscopic field shows a progressive deposition of calcium phosphate during the course of the experiment. The deposition of calcium around cells was confirmed by calcium-specific stains, and by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) during scanning electron microscopy. Cells with high calcium content analyzed by EDX had Ca:P ratios similar to hydroxyapatite. Total calcium progressively increased in beta-glycerol phosphate-treated cultures whereas the control plates maintained a constant calcium content over 16 days. Alkaline phosphatase activity increased with time in culture whereas cells with beta-glycerol phosphate maintained the alkaline phosphatase values achieved at the time of initial calcification. Alkaline phosphatase staining revealed no correlation between the presence of the enzyme activity and calcification. Radioimmunoassay for the bone-specific vitamin K-dependent protein bone Gla protein showed that beta-glycerol phosphate-treated cells accumulate over sixfold greater amounts of this protein. Our studies show that ROS cells can calcify and accumulate bone-specific matrix components when cultured in a 3-dimensional agarose matrix.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Conformational studies of osteocalcin in solution.

1H-NMR and circular dichroism studies have been carried out on osteocalcin, a 49-residue, calcium-binding protein, the sequence of which contains a disulphide bridge, a proline-rich segment and three gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) residues. These latter residues have been proposed to lie on one face of an alpha helix and interact with the mineral phase, leading to incorporation of the protein into the bone matrix. Circular dichroism shows an increase in the alpha-helical structure on Ca2+ binding to bovine osteocalcin. This induced structure is lost on heating the protein, giving a spectrum close to that of the Ca(2+)-free protein. 1H-NMR studies of rabbit osteocalcin gave a set of resonance assignments and NOEs which could be interpreted in terms of distance constraints. These did not allow a single conformation to be defined for the protein in solution but reflect rather a flexible structure which may be essential for the function of the protein. The calculated structures contain a hydrophobic core (comprising Leu2, Leu32, Val36 and Tyr42, seen to be slowly flipping in the Ca(2+)-bound form) and have the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid side chains exposed on one face of the molecule.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The uptake of lipoprotein-borne phylloquinone (vitamin K1) by osteoblasts and osteoblast-like cells: role of heparan sulfate proteoglycans and apolipoprotein E.

Vitamin K is essential for the gamma-carboxylation of Gla-containing bone proteins such as osteocalcin and a suboptimal vitamin K status has been linked to osteoporosis but nothing is known of how the lipoprotein-borne vitamin accesses the bone matrix. We have studied the mechanism of transport of lipoproteins labeled with [3H]-phylloquinone (vitamin K1 [K1]) into osteoblasts using both tumor-derived cell lines and normal osteoblast-rich cell populations. We also investigated the effect of heparin in this model since long-term heparin treatment causes osteopenia and the anticoagulant is known to impair normal lipoprotein metabolism. Heparinase treatment, which removes heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG), reduced uptake of [3H]-K1 from triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). The effect of heparin in this model was complex depending on cell type, concentration, and time but, overall, the results were consistent with an inhibition of vitamin K uptake by osteoblasts. Anti-apolipoprotein E (apoE) antiserum reduced uptake of TRL-[3H]-K1 by 55 +/- 4% and LDL-[3H]-K1 uptake by 35 +/- 2%. Exogenous apoE4 increased uptake of TRL-[3H]-K1 by 90 +/- 1% compared with 53 +/- 11% for apoE3 and 52 +/- 5% for apoE2. Our findings show that HSPG on the cell surface and apoE in the lipoprotein particles contribute to lipoprotein-K1 uptake by osteoblasts as is known for lipoprotein uptake by hepatocytes. This mechanism is significant in view of the epidemiological association of both undercarboxylation of osteocalcin and the presence of an apo epsilon4 allele with increased fracture risk and reduced bone mineral density (BMD). The inhibition by heparin of lipoprotein-mediated carriage of vitamin K and possibly other lipids to bone may provide a basis for the future understanding of heparin-induced osteoporosis.

Apolipoproteins E↗

Cultured bovine bone cells synthesize basic fibroblast growth factor and store it in their extracellular matrix.

Bone contains various growth factors, including fibroblast growth factor (FGF). The cellular origins of the growth factors found in bone are not known. We examined whether cultured fetal bovine bone cells synthesize FGF. These cells express characteristic markers of the osteoblast phenotype, including expression of bone Gla protein (osteocalcin) and mineralization. Heparin-Sepharose fractionation of cell extracts revealed that bone cells contained a basic FGF (bFGF)-like molecule, that displayed high affinity for heparin. The growth factor was mitogenic for adrenal cortex-derived endothelial cells and osteoblast-like bone cells. The major peak of biological activity corresponded to a peak of immunoreactive bFGF. When analyzed by Western blot, the active fractions contained a bFGF-like immunoreactive species with a mol wt of 15,000, a mass identical to that of (des-1-15)bFGF. Based on RIA, the bone cell extract contained an estimated 95 ng bFGF/mg cell protein. An acidic FGF-like molecule with lower affinity for heparin was also present in the purified bone cell extracts, although at an approximately 10-fold lower concentration than bFGF. These results demonstrate that bone cells synthesize a mitogen indistinguishable from bFGF. In addition, Northern analysis revealed that the bone cells expressed 3.5- and 7.0-kilobase bFGF gene transcripts. We next examined whether the bone cell-derived bFGF is stored in a bioactive form in the extracellular matrix. Bone cells synthesized an extracellular matrix which was mitogenic for adrenal cortex-derived endothelial cells. However, if the bone cell extracellular matrix was preincubated with neutralizing anti-bFGF antibodies, its mitogenic properties were abolished. This suggests that bone cell-derived bFGF may function as an autocrine or paracrine mitogen via its deposition into the extracellular matrix of bone.

Adrenal Cortex↗

Serum osteocalcin is increased in patients with osteomalacia: correlations with biochemical and histomorphometric findings.

The synthesis of osteocalcin or bone gla protein by osteoblasts is markedly stimulated by 1,25-(OH)2D, a key hormone in the regulation of bone mineralization. The circulating levels of osteocalcin have been shown to reflect both the osteoid matrix production and the formation rate of mineralized bone in several metabolic bone diseases (osteoporosis, thyrotoxicosis, primary hyperparathyroidism) in which both mechanisms are tightly coupled because of the absence of mineralization defect. In this study, we measured in 12 patients (7 women, 5 men, 56 +/- 15 yr old) with untreated osteomalacia serum osteocalcin and vitamin D metabolites (25OHD and 1,25-(OH)2D). The results were correlated with biochemical and histomorphometric assessment of bone remodeling. Osteomalacia was due to vitamin D deficiency (5 cases), to vitamin D malabsorption (6 cases), and to hypophosphataemia in 1 case. When compared to control values, serum osteocalcin was increased in patients with osteomalacia (7.4 +/- 4 vs. 3.7 +/- 1.3 ng/mL; P less than 0.001) and was positively correlated with serum alkaline phosphatase (r = 0.65; P = 0.03) and negatively with 25 OHD (r = -0.61; P = 0.04). Serum osteocalcin was not correlated with 1,25-(OH)2D [r = -0.45; not significant (NS)] even after exclusion of the patient with hypophosphataemia. Serum osteocalcin was positively correlated with the osteoid volume and osteoid perimeter (r = 0.71 and 0.69 respectively; P less than 0.01) but not with any of the tetracycline-based parameter of bone mineralization at the tissue level (r ranging from -0.41 to +0.42, NS). Serum 25 OHD, but not 1,25-(OH)2D, was positively correlated with the mineralization rate (r = 0.59; P less than 0.05 and r = 0.54; NS). We conclude that in patients with osteomalacia, a condition which is characterized by an increased osteoid accumulation due to a decreased mineralization rate, the increased level of serum osteocalcin reflects the increased osteoid synthesis but not the mineralization defect. In this disease, serum osteocalcin is inversely correlated to the severity of vitamin D deficiency reflected by serum 25 OHD, but not to the serum levels of 1,25-(OH)2D.

Adult↗

Formation of osteoblast-like cells from human mononuclear bone marrow cultures.

Osteoblast-like cells are commonly found in the vicinity of osteoclasts formed in long-term human bone marrow cultures, and they are believed to be derived from osteogenic cell precursors belonging to the stromal cell system. This paper describes a new culture method for human osteoblasts from the adherent cell population of long-term human mononuclear bone marrow cultures. The cells obtained exhibited all the classic characteristics of osteoblasts. They contained high intracellular concentrations of alkaline phosphatase and they secreted the osteoblast-specific marker bone Gla protein. Collagen production was mainly (95-98%) procollagen type I propeptide and only minute quantities of procollagen type III propeptide were detectable by radioimmunoassay in the conditioned medium. After eight weeks the cells formed a mineralized matrix on exposure to beta-glycerophosphate and ascorbic acid. This system provides a model for the study of osteoblast differentiation in vitro and may form the basis for the use of defined media in bone cell cultures due to the presence of high concentrations of osteoblast precursors.

Adult↗

The quantification of gammacarboxyglutamic acid residues in plasma-osteocalcin.

In this paper we describe an assay procedure for determining the amount of gammacarboxyglutamic acid (Gla) residues in serum- or plasma-osteocalcin. The test includes removing by ethanol precipitation the majority of the proteins from the plasma (e.g., the Gla-containing coagulation factors) and the specific extraction of osteocalcin with the aid of immobilized immunopurified antibodies. It is demonstrated that the Gla-content of circulating osteocalcin from normal cows is similar to that of osteocalcin obtained from bone. Hence, the fact that part of the newly synthesized osteocalcin does not bind to the hydroxyapatite matrix in bone cannot be explained by an undercarboxylation of the molecule.

1-Carboxyglutamic Acid↗