Retrograde BMP signaling in neurons plays conserved roles in synaptic efficacy and subtype-specific gene expression. However, a role for retrograde BMP signaling in the behavioral output of neuronal networks has not been established. Insect development proceeds through a series of stages punctuated by ecdysis, a complex patterned behavior coordinated by a dedicated neuronal network. In Drosophi...

Over time, peritoneal dialysis results in functional and structural alterations of the peritoneal membrane, but the underlying mechanisms and whether these changes are reversible are not completely understood. Here, we studied the effects of high levels of glucose, which are found in the dialysate, on human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs). We found that high concentrations of glucose induc...

Procollagen C-endopeptidase (BMP-1) and N-endopeptidase (ADAMTS-2) are key enzymes for correct and efficient conversion of fibrillar procollagens to their self assembling monomers. Thus, they have an essential role in building and controlling the quality of extracellular matrices (ECMs). Here, we tested inhibition of activity of the largest variant of BMP-1, a recombinant mammalian tolloid (mTl...

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) induce a cartilage-specific extracellular matrix (ECM) gene, aggrecan, in a chondrogenic cell line, ATDC5. The results of our recent study show that TGF-β1, but not BMP-4, strongly induces an ECM gene, fibronectin, during chondrogenesis. However, the role of fibronectin in chondrogenesis is unclear. In the current study, ou...

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are used for cell-based treatment canine osteoarthritis (OA). Compared with human MSCs, detailed information on the functional characterisation of MSCs is limited. In particular, chondrogenic differentiation adipose tissue-derived (cAT-MSCs) challenging. this study, we aimed to compare cAT-MSCs bone marrow-derived (cBM-MSCs), focusing specifically their in vitro ...