DNA damage-inducible transcript 3 restrains osteoclast differentiation and function

DDIT3 switches osteogenic potential of BMP9 to lipogenic by attenuating Wnt/β-catenin signaling via up-regulating DKK1 in mesenchymal stem cells

Bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) functions as a potent inducer of osteogenic differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), holding promise for bone tissue engineering. However, BMP9 also concurrently triggers lipogenic differentiation in MSCs, potentially compromising its osteogenic potential. In this study, we explored the role of DNA damage inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3) in regulating the balance between BMP9-induced osteogenic and lipogenic differentiation in MSCs. Utilizing techniques such as PCR, Western blot, histochemical staining, and in vivo experiments, we analyzed the osteogenic and lipogenic markers induced by BMP9 and delved into the underlying molecular mechanism. We found a significant upregulation of DDIT3 in C3H10T1/2 cells treated with BMP9. This upregulation led to a reduction in BMP9-induced osteogenic markers but an enhancement in lipogenic markers. Conversely, knocking down DDIT3 produced the opposite effects. Furthermore, BMP9-induced bone formation was decreased in the presence of DDIT3, but adipocyte formation was increased. Further investigations demonstrated that BMP9 increased the phosphorylation level of GSK-3β and promoted nuclear translocation of β-catenin, both of which were suppressed by DDIT3. Moreover, DDIT3 decreased the total β-catenin protein level while BMP9 increased the DKK1 protein level, which was further enhanced by DDIT3. Notably, knocking down DKK1 partially reversed the effect of DDIT3 on reducing BMP9-induced osteogenic markers and increasing lipogenic markers. Our findings indicated that DDIT3 enhances lipogenic differentiation by diminishing BMP9's osteogenic potential, possibly through inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling via DKK1 upregulation in MSCs.

DDIT3 aggravates TMJOA cartilage degradation via Nrf2/HO-1/NLRP3-mediated autophagy

OBJECTIVE

DNA damage-inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3), as a downstream transcription factor of endoplasmic reticulum stress, is reported to regulate chondrogenic differentiation under physiological and pathological state. However, the specific involvement of DDIT3 in the degradation of condylar cartilage of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is unclarified.

DESIGN

The expression patterns of DDIT3 in condylar cartilage from monosodium iodoacetate-induced TMJOA mice were examined to uncover the potential role of DDIT3 in TMJOA. The Ddit3 knockout (Ddit3-/-) mice and their wildtype littermates (Ddit3+/+) were used to clarify the effect of DDIT3 on cartilage degradation. Primary condylar chondrocytes and ATDC5 cells were applied to explore the mechanisms of DDIT3 on autophagy and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation in chondrocytes. The autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) was used to determine the effect of DDIT3-inhibited autophagy in vivo.

RESULTS

DDIT3 were highly expressed in condylar cartilage from TMJOA mice. Ddit3 knockout alleviated condylar cartilage degradation and subchondral bone loss, compared with their wildtype littermates. In vitro study demonstrated that DDIT3 exacerbated ECM degradation in chondrocytes induced by TNF-α through inhibiting autophagy. The intraperitoneal injection of CQ further confirmed that Ddit3 knockout alleviated cartilage degradation in TMJOA through activating autophagy in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings identified the crucial role of DDIT3-inhibited autophagy in condylar cartilage degradation during the development of TMJOA.

Eupatilin suppresses osteoclastogenesis and periodontal bone loss by inhibiting the MAPKs/Siglec-15 pathway

Periodontitis is a widely prevalent oral disease around the world characterized by the disruption of the periodontal ligament and the subsequent development of periodontal pockets, as well as the loss of alveolar bone, and may eventually lead to tooth loss. This research aims to assess the suppressive impact of Eupatilin, a flavone obtained from Artemisia argyi, on osteoclastogenesis in vitro and periodontitis in vivo. We found that Eupatilin can efficiently obstruct the differentiation of Raw264.7 and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) induced by RANKL, leading to the formation of mature osteoclasts. Consistently, bone slice resorption assay showed that Eupatilin significantly inhibited osteoclast-mediated bone resorption in a dose-dependent manner. Eupatilin also downregulated the expression of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins in Raw264.7 and BMDMs. RNA sequencing showed that Eupatilin notably downregulated the expression of Siglec-15. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses identified significantly enriched pathways in DEGs, including MAPK signaling pathway. And further mechanistic investigations confirmed that Eupatilin repressed MAPKs/NF-κBsignaling pathways. It was found that Siglec-15 overexpression reversed the inhibitory impact of Eupatilin on the differentiation of osteoclasts. Furthermore, activating MAPK signaling pathway reversed the downregulation of Siglec-15 and the inhibition of osteoclastogenesis by Eupatilin. To sum up, Eupatilin reduced the expression of Siglec-15 by suppressing MAPK signaling pathway, ultimately leading to the inhibition of osteoclastogenesis. Meanwhile, Eupatilin suppressed the alveolar bone resorption caused by experimentalperiodontitis in vivo. Eupatilin exhibits potential therapeutic effects in the treatment of periodontitis, rendering it a promising pharmaceutical agent.

DDIT3 deficiency accelerates bone remodeling during bone healing by enhancing osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation through ULK1-mediated autophagy

The coordination of osteoblasts and osteoclasts is essential for bone remodeling. DNA damage inducible script 3 (DDIT3) is an important regulator of bone and participates in cell differentiation, proliferation, autophagy, and apoptosis. However, its role in bone remodeling remains unexplored. Here, we found that Ddit3 knockout (Ddit3-KO) enhanced both bone formation and resorption. The increased new bone formation and woven bone resorption, i.e., enhanced bone remodeling capacity, was found to accelerate bone defect healing in Ddit3-KO mice. In vitro experiments showed that DDIT3 inhibited both osteoblast differentiation and Raw264.7 cell differentiation by regulating autophagy. Cell coculture assay showed that Ddit3-KO decreased the ratio of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κβ ligand (RANKL) to osteoprotegerin (OPG) in osteoblasts, and Ddit3-KO osteoblasts inhibited osteoclast differentiation. Meanwhile, DDIT3 knockdown (DDIT3-sh) increased receptor activator of nuclear factor-κβ (RANK) expression in Raw264.7 cells, and DDIT3-sh Raw264.7 cells promoted osteoblast differentiation, whereas, DDIT3 overexpression had the opposite effect. Mechanistically, DDIT3 promoted autophagy partly by increasing ULK1 phosphorylation at serine555 (pULK1-S555) and decreasing ULK1 phosphorylation at serine757 (pULK1-S757) in osteoblasts, thereby inhibiting osteoblast differentiation. DDIT3 inhibited autophagy partly by decreasing pULK1-S555 in Raw264.7 cells, thereby suppressing osteoclastic differentiation. Taken together, our data indicate that DDIT3 is one of the elements regulating bone remodeling and bone healing, which may become a potential target in bone defect treatment.

Role and Regulation of Transcription Factors in Osteoclastogenesis

Bones serve mechanical and defensive functions, as well as regulating the balance of calcium ions and housing bone marrow.. The qualities of bones do not remain constant. Instead, they fluctuate throughout life, with functions increasing in some situations while deteriorating in others. The synchronization of osteoblast-mediated bone formation and osteoclast-mediated bone resorption is critical for maintaining bone mass and microstructure integrity in a steady state. This equilibrium, however, can be disrupted by a variety of bone pathologies. Excessive osteoclast differentiation can result in osteoporosis, Paget's disease, osteolytic bone metastases, and rheumatoid arthritis, all of which can adversely affect people's health. Osteoclast differentiation is regulated by transcription factors NFATc1, MITF, C/EBPα, PU.1, NF-κB, and c-Fos. The transcriptional activity of osteoclasts is largely influenced by developmental and environmental signals with the involvement of co-factors, RNAs, epigenetics, systemic factors, and the microenvironment. In this paper, we review these themes in regard to transcriptional regulation in osteoclastogenesis.

DNA damage-inducible transcript 3 deficiency promotes bone resorption in murine periodontitis models

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Periodontitis is a multifactorial inflammatory disease that leads to the destruction of supporting structures of the teeth. DNA damage-inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3) plays crucial roles in cell survival and differentiation. DDIT3 regulates bone mass and osteoclastogenesis in femur. However, the role of DDIT3 in periodontitis has not been elucidated. This research aimed to explore the role and mechanisms of DDIT3 in periodontitis.

METHODS

DDIT3 gene knockout (KO) mice were generated using a CRISPR/Cas9 system. Experimental periodontitis models were established to explore the role of DDIT3 in periodontitis. The expression of DDIT3 in periodontal tissues was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The alveolar bone phenotypes were observed by micro-CT and stereomicroscopy. The inflammation levels and osteoclast activity were examined by histological staining, immunostaining, and qRT-PCR. Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) were isolated to confirm the effects of DDIT3 on osteoclast formation and function in vitro.

RESULTS

The increased expression of DDIT3 in murine inflamed periodontal tissues was detected. DDIT3 knockout aggravated alveolar bone loss and enhanced expression levels of inflammatory cytokines in murine periodontitis models. Increased osteoclast formation and higher expression levels of osteoclast-specific markers were observed in the inflamed periodontal tissues of KO mice. In vitro, DDIT3 deficiency promoted the formation of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multinucleated osteoclasts and the bone resorption activity of mature osteoclasts.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that DDIT3 deletion aggravated alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis through enhanced inflammatory reactions and osteoclastogenesis. The anti-inflammation and the inhibition of bone loss by DDIT3 in murine periodontitis provides a potential novel therapeutic strategy for periodontitis.

Retinal Ganglion Cell Death in Glaucoma: Advances and Caveats

Purpose: Retinal ganglion cell death occurs during the glaucoma pathological process, and it is significant because of the poor regeneration capacity of retinal ganglion cells. With a constantly increasing understanding of retinal cell death mechanisms, we now know that simply blocking a specific mechanism of cell death might not prevent retinal ganglion cell death. This review aimed to summarize the mechanisms of retinal cell death in glaucoma models and discuss the caveats in restoring visual function in these studies.Methods: A literature search was done on PubMed using key words including glaucoma, ocular hypertension, retinal ganglion cell, cell death, apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, autophagic cell death, and parthanatos. The literature was reviewed to summarize the information about the lethal pathways of retinal ganglion cell in the glaucoma-like animal models.Results: Based on the purpose, 100 studies were selected and discussed in this review.Conclusions: The damage to ganglion cells in glaucoma-like animals can occur via multiple lethal pathways and the molecular mechanisms are still incompletely understood. Further investigations on the crosstalk between different cell death pathways and the common upstream regulators could augment the development of novel targeting agents for the curative treatment of glaucoma.

Differential gene co-expression network analyses reveal novel molecules associated with transcriptional dysregulation of key biological processes in osteoarthritis knee cartilage

OBJECTIVES

To compare co-expression networks of normal and osteoarthritis knee cartilage to uncover molecules associated with the transcriptional misregulation compromising biological processes (BPs) critical for cartilage homeostasis.

DESIGN

Normal and osteoarthritis human knee cartilage RNA-seq GSE114007 dataset was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Partial Correlation and Information Theory (PCIT) algorithm was used to build co-expression networks containing all nodes connecting to at least one differentially expressed gene (DEG) in normal and osteoarthritis networks. Hub and hub centrality genes were used to perform functional enrichment analysis. Enriched BPs known to be associated with both healthy and diseased cartilage were compared in depth.

RESULTS

Differential co-expression network analyses allowed the identification of DDX43 and USP42 as exclusively co-expressed with DEGs in normal and osteoarthritis networks, respectively. The top hub and hub centrality genes of these networks were HIST1H3A and SNHG12 (normal) and TAF9B and OTUD1 (osteoarthritis). Enrichment analysis revealed several shared BPs between the contrasting groups, which are well-known in osteoarthritis pathogenesis. Protein-protein interaction network analysis for these BPs showed a global down-regulation of transcription factors in osteoarthritis. Specific transcription factors were identified as pleiotropic mediators in articular cartilage maintenance since they take part in several BPs. In addition, chromatin organisation and modification proteins were found relevant for osteoarthritis development.

CONCLUSION

Differential gene co-expression analysis allowed the identification of novel and high priority therapeutic candidate genes that may drive modifications in the transcriptional "status" of cartilage in osteoarthritis.