AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

The flat bones of the skull, the calvarial bones, develop by intramembranous ossification during which mesenchymal cells first condense and subsequently differentiate into osteoblasts. Sutures separate the calvarial bones and facilitate the synchronized growth of the underlying brain and the calvaria. Hedgehog (Hh) signalling has an indisputable role in craniofacial development as well as during endochondral ossification. Yet, little is known about its function during intramembranous ossification of the calvarial bones. GLI-Kruppel family member 3 (Gli3) is a zinc-finger transcription factor that mediates Hh signalling. In the absence of Hh ligand Gli3 is proteolytically cleaved into a repressor that inhibits transcription of Hh target genes. Mutations in GLI3 cause Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome in humans, in which an infrequent, but significant feature is premature fusion of the metopic suture (interfrontal suture in mice). We have used Gli3 loss-of- function mouse (Gli3Xt-J/Xt-J) as a model to investigate the effects of aberrant Hh signalling during calvarial development. In my thesis I describe how loss of Gli3 causes craniosynostosis of the lambdoid as well as interfrontal sutures in mice. Elevated proliferation and ectopic differentiation of osteoprogenitors underlies this phenomenon. We were able to rescue craniosynostosis in these mice by two mechanisms. Firstly, by elevating fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) signalling in the suture prior to its fusion by imbedding Fgf2 soaked beads in tissue culture. This induced Twist1 expression, which inhibits function of ectopically expressed Runx2. Secondly, craniosynostosis was prevented by genetically reducing Runx2 activity by generating Gli3Xt-J/Xt-J;Runx2+/- mice, which normalized elevated levels of Bmp signalling in the affected sutures. We also put forward a model of how Hh signalling helps to maintain the integrity of bone margins during calvarial development. The repressor isoform of Gli3 inhibits Runx2 activity in the early osteoprogenitor cells. Runx2, on the other hand, activates Ihh expression in the mature osteoblasts, which then induces osteogenesis by inhibiting the function of Gli3 repressor. Our findings indicate that Gli3 and Hh signalling have an important role in mediating the location of osteoblast differentiation and the speed of bone formation in the developing calvaria. Uncovering the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie normal calvarial development, as well as pathological processes, is a vital step in developing treatment strategies for patients with craniosynostosis. Kallon litteät peitinluut kehittyvät ns. suoran luutumisen mekanismilla eli intramembranoottisesti: mesenkymaaliset solut muodostavat ensin tiivistymän, jonka jälkeen ne erilaistuvat asteittain luusoluiksi eli osteoblasteiksi. Kasvavia kallon peitinluita erottavat kallon saumat, joissa luiden aktiivinen kasvu jatkuu mahdollistaen alla olevien aivojen samanaikaisen kasvun. Kraniosynostoosi on patologinen tila, jossa yksi tai useampi kallon sauma luutuu…