Expression Pattern of the Orphan Nuclear Receptor, Nurrl, in the Developing Mouse Forelimb and its Relationship to Limb Skeletogenesis and Osteogenesis

摘要

The NR4A orphan nuclear receptor, Nurrl, has been shown to regulate the expression of osteoblastic genes and osteoblastic differentiation. However, the expression profile of Nurrl in the developing mouse forelimb and its relationship to skeletogenesishas not, to the best of our knowledge, been previously analyzed. In this study, the relationship between Nurrl expression pattern, skeletogenesis and osteogenesis in the developing mouse forelimb was investigated. The expression level of Nurrl during development was also quantified by real time-polymerase chain reaction. Our results revealed that Nurrl is expressed in the mesenchyme cells that will form the skeleton. Nurrl is aabundantly expressed in the primary ossification centers of the forelimb skeletal elements and its expression level is gradually increased during limb development, particularly, at the onset of ossification. Collectively, these data suggested that Nurrl plays an important role in skeletogenesis and patterning of the developing mouse forelimb.