Summary
Type X collagen is a short chain, non-fibrilforming collagen synthesized primarily by hypertrophic chondrocytes in the growth plate of fetal cartilage. Previously, we have also identified type X collagen in the extracellular matrix of fibrillated, osteoarthritic but not in normal articular cartilage using biochemical and immunohistochemical techniques (von der Mark et al. 1992 a). Here we compare the expression of type X with types I and II collagen in normal and degenerate human articular cartilage by in situ hybridization. Signals for cytoplasmic α1(X) collagen mRNA were not detectable in sections of healthy adult articular cartilage, but few specimens of osteoarthritic articular cartilage showed moderate expression of type X collagen in deep zones, but not in the upper fibrillated zone where type X collagen was detected by immunofluorescence. This apparent discrepancy may be explained by the relatively short phases of type X collagen gene activity in osteoarthritis and the short mRNA half-life compared with the longer half-life of the type X collagen protein. At sites of newly formed osteophytic and repair cartilage, α1(X) mRNA was strongly expressed in hypertrophic cells, marking the areas of endochondral bone formation. As in hypertrophic chondrocytes in the proliferative zone of fetal cartilage, type X collagen expression was also associated with strong type II collagen expression.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aigner T, Bertling W, Stöß H, Weseloh G, von der Mark K (1993a) Independent expression of fibril-forming collagens I, II, and III in chondrocytes in human osteoarthritic cartilage. J Clin Invest (in press)
Aigner T, Stöß H, Weseloh G, Zeiler G, von der Mark K (1992) Activation of collagen type II expression in osteoarthritic and rheumatoid cartilage. Virchows Archiv [B] Cell Pathol 62:337–345
Castagnola P, Dozin B, Moro G, Cancedda R (1988) Changes in the expression of collagen genes show two stages in chondrocyte differentiation in vitro. J Cell Biol 106:461–467
Descalzi-Cancedda F, Gentili C, Manduca P, Cancedda R (1992) Hypertrophic chondrocytes undergo further differentiation in culture. J Cell Biol 117:427–435
Eyre DR, McDevitt CA, Billingham MEJ, Muir H (1980) Biosynthesis of collagen and other matrix proteins by articular cartilage in experimental arthrosis. Biochem J 188:823–837
Gannon JM, Walker G, Fischer M, Carpenter R, Thompson RC, Oegema TR (1991) Localization of type X collagen in canine growth plate and adult canine articular cartilage. J Orthopaed Res 9:485–494
Gerstenfeld LC, Landis WJ (1991) Gene expression and extracellular matrix ultrastructure of a mineralizing chondrocyte cell culture system. J Cell Biol 112:501–513
Gibson G, Schor SL, Grant ME (1982) Effect of matrix mulecules on chondrocyte gene expression: Synthesis of a low molecular weight collagen species by cells cultured within collagen gels. J Cell Biol 93:767–774
Grant WT, Wang GJ, Balian G (1987) Type X collagen synthesis during endochondral ossification in fracture repair. J Biol Chem 262:9844–9849
Hoyland JA, Thomas J, Donn R, Marriott A, Ayad S, Boot-Handford RP, Grant ME, Freemont AJ (1991) Distribution of type X collagen mRNA in normal and osteoarthritic human cartilage. Bone Mineral 15:151–164
Iyama K-I, Ninomiya Y, Olsen BR, Linsenmayer TF, Trelstad RL, Hayashi M (1991) Spatiotemporal pattern of type X collagen gene expression and collagen deposition in embryonic chick vertebrae undergoing endochondral ossification. Anatom Record 229:462–472
Kirsch T, von der Mark K (1991a) Ca2 + binding properties of type X collagen. FEBS Lett 294:149–152
Kirsch T, von der Mark K (1991b) Isolation of human type X collagen and immunolocalization in fetal human cartilage. Eur J Biochem 196:575–580
Kirsch T, von der Mark K (1992) Remodelling of collagen types I, II and X and calcification of human fetal cartilage. Bone Mineral 18:107–117
Kwan APL, Dickson IR, Freemont AJ, Grant ME (1989) Comparative studies of type X collagen expression in normal and rachitic chicken epiphyseal cartilage. J Cell Biol 109:1849–1856
Leboy PS, Vaias L, Uschmann B, Golub E, Adams SL, Pacifici M (1989) Ascorbic acid induces alkaline phosphatase, type X collagen, and calcium deposition in cultured chick chondrocytes. J Biol Chem 264:17281–17286
Lipiello L, Hall D, Mankin HJ (1977) Collagen synthesis in normal and osteoarthritic human cartilage. J Clin Inv 59:593–600
McDevitt CA, Muir H (1976) Biochemical changes in the cartilage of the knee in experimental and natural osteoarthritis in the dog. J Bone Joint Surg 58B:94–101
Meachim G (1972) Articular cartilage lesions in osteo-arthritis of the femoral head. J Pathol 107:199–210
Mankin HJ, Dorfman H, Lipiello L, Zarins A (1971) Biochemical and metabolic abnormalities in articular cartilage from osteoarthritic human hips. J Bone Joint Surg 53A: 523–537
Mayne R (1989) Cartilage collagens — what is their function, and are they involved in articular disease. Arthritis Rheumatism 32:241–246
Meachim G, Osborne GV (1970) Repair at the femoral articular surface in osteoarthritis of the hip. J Pathol 102:1–8
Mohr W, Regel E (1985) Die Entwicklung der Randexostosen bei Koxarthrose. Akt Rheumatol 10:119–124
Poole RA, Pidoux I (1989) Immunoelectron microscopic studies of type X collagen in endochondral ossification. J Cell Biol 109:2547–2554
Reichenberger E, Aigner T, von der Mark K, Stöß H, Bertling W (1991) In situ hybridization studies on the expression of type X collagen in fetal human cartilage. Dev Biol 148:562–572
Remington MC, Bashey RI, Brighton CT, Jimenez SA (1984) Biosynthesis of a disulfide bonded short chain collagen by calf growth plate cartilage. Biochem J 224:227–233
Resnick D (1983) Osteophytosis of the femoral head and neck. Arthritis Rheumatism 26:908–913
Ronziere MC, Ricard-Blum S, Tiollier J, Hartmann DJ, Garrone R, Herbage D (1990) Comparative analysis of collagens solubilized from human foetal, and normal and osteoarthritic adult articular cartilage, with emphasis on type VI collagen. Biochim Biophys Acta 1038:222–230
Ryu J, Treadwell BV, Mankin HJ (1984) Biochemical and metabolic abnormalities in normal and osteoarthritic human articular cartilage. Arthritis Rheumatism 27:49–57
Sandy JD, Adams ME, Billigham MEJ, Plaas A, Muir H (1984) In vivo and in vitro stimulation of chondrocyte biosynthetic activity in early experimental osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheumatism 27:388–397
Schmid IM, Linsenmayer TF (1985) Immunohistochemical localization of short chain cartilage collagen (type-X) in avian tissues. J Cell Biol 100:598–605
Schmid TM, Linsenmayer TF (1987) Type X collagen. In: Mayne R, Burgeson RE (eds) Structure and function of collagen types. Academic Press, New York, pp 223–259
Sokoloff L (1983) Cartilage. In: Hall B (ed) Aging and degenerative diseases affecting cartilage. Academic Press, New York, pp 109–141
von der Mark K (1986) Differentiation, modulation and dedifferentiation of chondrocytes. In: Kuehn K, Krieg T (eds) Rheumatology 10:272–315
von der Mark K, Kirsch T, Nerlich AG, Kuß A, Weseloh G, Glückert K, Stöß H (1992a) Type X collagen synthesis in human osteoarthritic cartilage: Indication of chondrocyte hypertrophy. Arthritis Rheumatism 35:806–811
von der Mark K, Kirsch T, Aigner T, Reichenberger E, Nerlich A, Weseloh G, Stöß H (1992b) The fate of chondrocytes in osteoarthritic cartilage. Regeneration, dedifferentiation, or hypertrophy? In: Kuettner K, Schleyerbach R, Peyron JG, Hascall V (eds) Articular cartilage and osteoarthritis. Raven Press, Ltd, New York, pp 221–234
Wu LNY, Genge BR, Lloyd GC, Wuthier RE (1991) Collagen-binding proteins in collagenase-released matrix vesicles from cartilage. J Biol Chem 266:1195–1203
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Aigner, T., Reichenberger, E., Bertling, W. et al. Type X collagen expression in osteoarthritic and rheumatoid articular cartilage. Virchows Archiv B Cell Pathol 63, 205–211 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02899263
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02899263