Browsing by Subject "bones"

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    Gene Expression Patterns in Bone Following Mechanical Loading
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) Mantila Roosa, S.M.; Liu, Y.; Turner, C.H.
    Mechanical loading is a potent anabolic stimulus that substantially strengthens bones, and the time course of bone formation after initiating mechanical loading is well characterized. However, the time sequence for gene expression in a bone subjected to mechanical loading, over an extended period of time, has not been established. The advent of high-throughput measurements of gene expression and bioinformatics analysis methods offers new ways to study gene expression patterns. The primary goal of this study was to determine the time sequence for gene expression in a bone subjected to mechanical loading, during key periods of the bone formation process, including expression of matrix-related genes, the appearance of active osteoblasts, and bone desensitization. We evaluated loading-induced gene expression over a time course of 4 hours to 32 days. We then used bioinformatics tools to cluster genes into similar expression patterns and created groups of genes with common functions or signaling pathways.
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    Type I Collagen Exists as a Distribution of Nanoscale Morphologies in Teeth, Bones and Tendons
    (2010-05) Wallace, Joseph M.; Chen, Qishui; Fang, Ming; Erickson, Blake; Orr, Bradford G.; Banaszak Holl, Mark M.
    This study demonstrates that collagen, the most abundant protein in animals, exists as a distribution of nanoscale morphologies in teeth, bones, and tendons. This fundamental characteristic of Type I collagen has not previously been reported and provides a new understanding of the nanoscale architecture of this ubiquitous and important biological nanomaterial. Dentin, bone, and tendon tissue samples were chosen for their differences in cellular origin and function, as well as to compare mineralized tissues with a tissue that lacks mineral in a normal physiological setting. A distribution of morphologies was present in all three tissues, confirming that this characteristic is fundamental to Type I collagen regardless of the presence of mineral, cellular origin of the collagen (osteoblast versus odontoblast versus fibroblast), anatomical location, or mechanical function of the tissue.