Abstract
The temporal and spatial distribution of osteonectin/SPARC was investigated during different stages of human development by in situ hybridization and histochemistry Specific mRNA was associated with(a) tissues exhibiting high rates of matrix production (skin, vessels, tendons fetal mesenchyme), (b) cells involved in the process of mineralization (osteoblasts, chondrocytes, odontoblasts), (c)production of basement membranes (glomeruli and (d) steroid synthesis (adrenal gland, Leydig cells) In the growth plate, expression was found in the upper hypertrophic and proliferative but not in the mineralized zone. Histochemistry detected osteonectin extra-cellularly in mineralized tissues, whereas others showed intracellular staining only.
The localization of osteonectin in bone, cartilage and teeth is consistent with its proposed role in mineralization. However, the function-specific distribution in non-mineralized tissues suggests a multi-functional role of this protein.
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Mundlos, S., Reichert, T. & Zabel, B. 145 Multifunction Role of Osteonectin/SPARC during Human embryonic and Feta Development. Pediatr Res 30, 652 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199112000-00175
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199112000-00175