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Theranostics 2018; 8(20):5575-5592. doi:10.7150/thno.27372 This issue Cite

Research Paper

Alkaline Phosphatase Controls Lineage Switching of Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Regulating the LRP6/GSK3β Complex in Hypophosphatasia

Wenjia Liu^{1,2 *}, Liqiang Zhang^{1,2 *}, Kun Xuan^1*, Chenghu Hu², Liya Li², Yongjie Zhang², Fang Jin^1✉, Yan Jin^1,2✉

1. MS-State Key Laboratory & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Shaanxi International Joint Research Center for Oral Diseases, Center for Tissue Engineering, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
2. Xi'an Institute of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Xi'an, 710032, China.
*W.J.L, L.Q.Z and K.X. made equal contribution.

✉ Corresponding authors: Yan Jin, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, 145 West Chang Le Road, Xin cheng District, Xi'an, China, 710032; e-mail: yanjinedu.cn; Fang Jin, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, 145 West Chang Le Road, Xin cheng District, Xi'an, China, 710032; e-mail: jinfangedu.cn. More

Abstract

Lineage differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) is the key to bone-fat reciprocity in bone marrow. To date, the regulators of BMMSC lineage switching have all been identified to be transcription factors, and researchers have not determined whether other genes control this process. This study aims to reveal a previously unknown role of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP) in controlling BMMSC lineage selection.

Methods: We compared the characteristics of cultured BMMSCs from patients with hypophosphatasia (HPP), which is caused by mutations in the liver/bone/kidney alkaline phosphatase (ALPL) gene, and an ALPL knockout (ko) mouse model. We performed ALPL downregulation and overexpression experiments to investigate the regulatory role of ALPL in BMMSC lineage switching. Using the PathScan array, coimmunoprecipitation experiments and pathway-guided small molecule treatments, we explored the possible mechanism underlying the regulatory effects of ALPL on cell differentiation and evaluated its therapeutic effect on ALPL ko mice.

Results: BMMSCs from both patients with HPP and ALPL ko mice exhibited defective lineage differentiation, including a decrease in osteogenic differentiation and a parallel increase in adipogenic differentiation. Mechanistically, TNSALP directly interacted with LRP6 and regulated the phosphorylation of GSK3β, subsequently resulting in lineage switching of BMMSCs. Re-phosphorylation of GSK3β induced by LiCl treatment restored differentiation of BMMSCs and attenuated skeletal deformities in Alpl^+/- mice.

Conclusion: Based on our findings, TNSALP acts as a signal regulator to control lineage switching of BMMSCs by regulating the LRP6/GSK3β cascade.

Keywords: TNSALP, MSC lineage switch, LRP6/GSK3β complex, HPP

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