Search PubMedSearch

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Osteocalcin”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Osteocalcin of maternal and embryonic origins synergize to establish homeostasis in offspring.

Many physiological osteocalcin-regulated functions are affected in adult offspring of mothers experiencing unhealthy pregnancy. Furthermore, osteocalcin signaling during gestation influences cognition and adrenal steroidogenesis in adult mice. Together these observations suggest that osteocalcin may broadly function during pregnancy to determine organismal homeostasis in adult mammals. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed in unchallenged wildtype and Osteocalcin-deficient, newborn and adult mice of various genotypes and origin maintained on different genetic backgrounds, the functions of osteocalcin in the pancreas, liver and testes and their molecular underpinnings. This analysis revealed that providing mothers are Osteocalcin-deficient, Osteocalcin haploinsufficiency in embryos hampers insulin secretion, liver gluconeogenesis, glucose homeostasis, testes steroidogenesis in adult offspring; inhibits cell proliferation in developing pancreatic islets and testes; and disrupts distinct programs of gene expression in these organs and in the brain. This study indicates that osteocalcin exerts dominant functions in most organs it influences. Furthermore, through their synergistic regulation of multiple physiological functions, osteocalcin of maternal and embryonic origins contributes to the establishment and maintenance of organismal homeostasis in newborn and adult offspring.

Animals

Regulation of the bone-specific osteocalcin gene by p300 requires Runx2/Cbfa1 and the vitamin D3 receptor but not p300 intrinsic histone acetyltransferase activity.

p300 is a multifunctional transcriptional coactivator that serves as an adapter for several transcription factors including nuclear steroid hormone receptors. p300 possesses an intrinsic histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity that may be critical for promoting steroid-dependent transcriptional activation. In osteoblastic cells, transcription of the bone-specific osteocalcin (OC) gene is principally regulated by the Runx2/Cbfa1 transcription factor and is stimulated in response to vitamin D(3) via the vitamin D(3) receptor complex. Therefore, we addressed p300 control of basal and vitamin D(3)-enhanced activity of the OC promoter. We find that transient overexpression of p300 results in a significant dose-dependent increase of both basal and vitamin D(3)-stimulated OC gene activity. This stimulatory effect requires intact Runx2/Cbfa1 binding sites and the vitamin D-responsive element. In addition, by coimmunoprecipitation, we show that the endogenous Runx2/Cbfa1 and p300 proteins are components of the same complexes within osteoblastic cells under physiological concentrations. We also demonstrate by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays that p300, Runx2/Cbfa1, and 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) receptor interact with the OC promoter in intact osteoblastic cells expressing this gene. The effect of p300 on the OC promoter is independent of its intrinsic HAT activity, as a HAT-deficient p300 mutant protein up-regulates expression and cooperates with P/CAF to the same extent as the wild-type p300. On the basis of these results, we propose that p300 interacts with key transcriptional regulators of the OC gene and bridges distal and proximal OC promoter sequences to facilitate responsiveness to vitamin D(3).

Acetyltransferases

Dlx3 transcriptional regulation of osteoblast differentiation: temporal recruitment of Msx2, Dlx3, and Dlx5 homeodomain proteins to chromatin of the osteocalcin gene.

Genetic studies show that Msx2 and Dlx5 homeodomain (HD) proteins support skeletal development, but null mutation of the closely related Dlx3 gene results in early embryonic lethality. Here we find that expression of Dlx3 in the mouse embryo is associated with new bone formation and regulation of osteoblast differentiation. Dlx3 is expressed in osteoblasts, and overexpression of Dlx3 in osteoprogenitor cells promotes, while specific knock-down of Dlx3 by RNA interference inhibits, induction of osteogenic markers. We characterized gene regulation by Dlx3 in relation to that of Msx2 and Dlx5 during osteoblast differentiation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed a molecular switch in HD protein association with the bone-specific osteocalcin (OC) gene. The transcriptionally repressed OC gene was occupied by Msx2 in proliferating osteoblasts, while Dlx3, Dlx5, and Runx2 were recruited postproliferatively to initiate transcription. Dlx5 occupancy increased over Dlx3 in mature osteoblasts at the mineralization stage of differentiation, coincident with increased RNA polymerase II occupancy. Dlx3 protein-DNA interactions stimulated OC promoter activity, while Dlx3-Runx2 protein-protein interaction reduced Runx2-mediated transcription. Deletion analysis showed that the Dlx3 interacting domain of Runx2 is from amino acids 376 to 432, which also include the transcriptionally active subnuclear targeting sequence (376 to 432). Thus, we provide cellular and molecular evidence for Dlx3 in regulating osteoprogenitor cell differentiation and for both positive and negative regulation of gene transcription. We propose that multiple HD proteins in osteoblasts constitute a regulatory network that mediates development of the bone phenotype through the sequential association of distinct HD proteins with promoter regulatory elements.

Amino Acid Sequence

Proteomic profiling of bone for the estimation of post-mortem interval and post-mortem submersion interval: a systematic review.

Accurate estimation of the Post-Mortem Interval (PMI) and Post-Mortem Submersion Interval (PMSI) remains a persistent challenge in forensic science, especially when traditional morphological and entomological methods fail due to advanced decomposition or in aquatic environments. Proteomic profiling of bone tissues has recently emerged as a promising approach, leveraging the predictable degradation patterns of bone proteins to estimate time since death more reliably. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, analyzed 24 peer-reviewed studies focusing on the application of proteomic techniques to bone tissue for PMI and PMSI estimation. The included studies were evaluated based on sample type, analytical techniques used, identified biomarkers, environmental conditions assessed, and the overall reliability and reproducibility of the findings. The review found that specific bone proteins, particularly collagen, osteocalcin, fetuin-A, etc. exhibited consistent degradation patterns that correlated strongly with elapsed post-mortem time. Cortical bone was identified as a more stable and informative matrix compared to trabecular bone. Mass spectrometry, especially LC-MS/MS, emerged as the predominant analytical technique due to its high sensitivity and accuracy in detecting low-abundance proteins over extended PMIs and PMSIs. However, protein degradation rates were significantly influenced by environmental variables such as temperature, humidity, soil pH, and microbial activity. This review also emphasizes the transformative role of bone proteomics in advancing forensic science while identifying key gaps that must be addressed to achieve global standardization and practical implementation in diverse forensic contexts. The integration of proteomics with other emerging technologies, such as machine learning algorithms and computational modeling, may further enhance the precision of PMI and PMSI estimation in future applications.

Postmortem Changes

Brain aging rejuvenation factors in adults with genetic and sporadic neurodegenerative disease.

The largest risk factor for dementia is age. Heterochronic blood exchange studies have uncovered age-related blood factors that demonstrate 'pro-aging' or 'pro-youthful' effects on the mouse brain. The clinical relevance and combined effects of these factors for humans is unclear. We examined five previously identified brain rejuvenation factors in cerebrospinal fluid of adults with autosomal dominant forms of frontotemporal dementia and sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Our frontotemporal dementia cohort included 100 observationally followed adults carrying autosomal dominant frontotemporal dementia mutations (Mage = 49.6; 50% female; 43% C9orf72, 24% GRN, 33% MAPT) and 62 non-carriers (Mage = 52.6; 45% female) with cerebrospinal fluid analysed on Somascan, and longitudinal (Mvisits = 3 years, range 1-7 years) neuropsychological and functional assessments and plasma neurofilament light chain. Our Alzheimer's disease cohort included 35 adults with sporadic Alzheimer's disease (Mage = 69.4; 60% female) and 56 controls (Mage = 68.8, 50% female) who completed the same cerebrospinal fluid and clinical outcome measures cross-sectionally. Levels of C-C motif chemokine ligand 11, C-C motif chemokine ligand 2, beta-2-micorglobulin, bone gamma-carboxyglutamate protein (aka Osteocalcin) and colony stimulating factor 2 in cerebrospinal fluid were linearly combined into a composite score, with higher values reflecting 'pro-youthful' levels. In genetic frontotemporal dementia, higher baseline cerebrospinal fluid rejuvenation proteins predicted slower decline across cognitive, functional, and neurofilament light chain trajectories; estimates were similar across genotypes. In transdiagnostic analyses, higher cerebrospinal fluid rejuvenation proteins associated with better functional, cognitive, and neurofilament light chain outcomes in adults with sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Proteins with pre-clinical evidence for brain rejuvenation show translational clinical relevance in adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and warrant further investigation.

Alzheimer’s disease

Amino acid sequence homology and the vitamin K-dependent proteins.

Examination of amino acid sequence data on bovine vitamin K-dependent clotting zymogens, using the Gibbs and McIntyre diagonal plot, leads to the conclusion that they are homologous and have evolved by a series of gene duplications. Plasminogen is also homologous but lacks the region containing glutamic acid (Glu) residues gamma-carboxylated in a vitamin K-dependent step. Both prothrombin and plasminogen show internal sequence homology resulting from partial gene duplication and quintuplication respectively; each internal homology loop in prothrombin shows significant homology with each of the five putative loops in plasminogen. Recently, Walz et al. (Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. USA 74: 1969-1972, 1977) have sequenced the non-thrombin region of human prothrombin (residues 1-273) and this has enabled identification of regions conserved in 90 million years of eutherian evolution. The relative conservatism of homology loop 1 (bovine residues 66-144) which has no known function is discussed 'gamma-Carboxyglutamic acid; (Gla) has been found in proteins unrelated to the plasma clotting factors; a bovine bone-matrix protein('osteocalcin') has been sequenced by Price et al. (Proc. natn. Acad Sci. USA 73: 3373-3375, 1976) but it shows no homology with prothrombin or factor X.

Amino Acid Sequence