Original Articles

Adeno-associated virus-mediated bone morphogenetic protein-7 gene transfer induces C2C12 cell differentiation into osteoblast lineage cells

Min Yang, Qing-jun Ma, Geng-ting Dang, Kang-tao Ma, Ping Chen, Chun-yan Zhou

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the effects of bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP7)-expressing recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector on the differentiation of C2C12 cells.
Methods: AAV-BMP7 was packaged by infecting the stable cell clone BHK-21 (integrated with recombinant AAV vector plasmid pSNAV-BMP7) with recombinant herpes simplex virus type 1, which expresses AAV-2 Rep and Cap and possesses AAV packaging functions. Following infection with AAV-BMP7 at multiplicities of infection of 1times105 vector genomes per cell and subsequent culture, C2C12 cells were assessed qualitatively for BMP7 production, alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin production and Cbfal and MyoD expression.
Results: C2C12 cells transduced with AAV-BMP7 could produce BMP7 protein until d 28. Alkaline phosphatase in the cultured C2C12 cell lysate was elevated. Secreted osteocalcin in the culture medium was detectable at d 12 and Cbfal mRNA expression level was upregulated, coinciding with downregulation of MyoD in a temporal manner.
Conclusion: The present in vitro study demonstrated that AAV-BMP7 could infect and efficiently convert C2C12 cells from myoblasts into osteoblast lineage cells.
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