Articular cartilage vesicles contain RNA. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2009 Oct 23;388(3):533-8
Date
08/15/2009Pubmed ID
19679100Pubmed Central ID
PMC2754773DOI
10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.08.038Scopus ID
2-s2.0-69549117350 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 22 CitationsAbstract
Small membrane-bound extracellular organelles known as articular cartilage matrix vesicles (ACVs) participate in pathologic mineralization in osteoarthritic articular cartilage. ACVs are also present in normal cartilage, although they have no known functions other than mineralization. Recently, RNA was identified in extracellular vesicles derived from mast cells, suggesting that such vesicles might carry coding information from cell to cell. We found that ACVs from normal porcine and human articular cartilage and primary chondrocyte conditioned media contained 1 microg RNA/80 microg ACV protein. No DNA could be detected. RT-PCR of ACV RNA demonstrated the presence of full length mRNAs for factor XIIIA, type II transglutaminase, collagen II, aggrecan, ANKH and GAPDH. RNA in intact ACVs was resistant to RNase, despite the fact that ACV preparations contained measurable levels of active RNases. Significantly, radiolabeled RNA in ACVs could be transferred to unlabeled chondrocytes by co-incubation and produced changes in levels of chondrocyte enzymes and proteins. The demonstration that ACVs contain mRNAs suggests that they may function to shuttle genetic information between articular cells and indicate novel functions for these structures in articular cartilage.
Author List
Mitton E, Gohr CM, McNally MT, Rosenthal AKAuthor
Ann K. Rosenthal MD Associate Dean, Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AggrecansAnimals
Cartilage, Articular
Chondrocytes
Factor XIIIa
GTP-Binding Proteins
Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (Phosphorylating)
Humans
Phosphate Transport Proteins
RNA Stability
RNA Transport
RNA, Messenger
Ribonucleases
Swine
Transglutaminases
Transport Vesicles
